Search results

The purposes of this paper are optimization of high speed reducer in electric vehicles based on the analysis of lubrication and verification of simulation accuracy and optimization results.

The traditional CFD method presents poor applicability to complex geometric problems due to grid deformity. Therefore, moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method is applied in this study to simulate lubrication of the reducer and analyze the influence of input speed and lubrication system design on the distribution. According to the results, the reducer is optimized. Meanwhile, the experiments for lubrication and churning power loss is carried out to verify the accuracy of simulation and optimization effects.

The flow field of lubricant inside the reducer is obtained. The lubrication system of reducer needs to be improved. Simulation and experiment show that the optimization is sufficient and efficient.

According to the simulation of lubrication, the reducer is optimized. The lubrication experimental setup is established. The conclusion of paper can provide the method and tool for reducer in electric vehicle.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-04-2024-0123/

Conflicts frequently occur in construction projects. Matching appropriate contractual and relational governance with conflict features to promote cooperation and thus minimize the negative influences of conflict is an issue that deserves attention. Our study classifies conflict types into task, process and relationship conflict and defines their combinations as conflict profiles. By conceptualizing contractual governance as the complexity of contract provisions and the strictness of contract enforcement and relational governance as trust, our study aims to explore the configurational impacts of conflict profiles and these governance mechanisms on parties’ cooperative behaviors.

A questionnaire survey was conducted, and 238 valid questionnaires were received. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was performed.

Four configurations produce cooperative behaviors. The combined use of detailed contracts, rigid enforcement and high trust enhances cooperation and such a governance arrangement is not subject to any conflict profile. A relatively low level of conflict requires detailed contracts and high levels of trust. For the conflict profile characterized by high task and process conflict and low relationship conflict, parties can select contractual governance-dominant or relational governance-dominant approaches.

Theoretically, our study reveals the matching relationships between conflict profiles and governance mechanisms, enriching the research on conflict profiles in construction projects and the interrelation between contractual and relational governance. Practically, the findings provide project managers guidance for conflict management and selecting governance mechanisms.

This paper aims to deepen the understanding of robust food supply chains (FSC) in SMEs by exploring and analyzing the literature through the lenses of digital technologies.

The study collected data from Scopus spanning from 2010 to 2024, employing selected keywords, and processed it using VOS-viewer and Biblioshiny to derive valid inferences and theoretical arguments.

The review paper identified several key themes shaping the future of supply chain management – Sustainability in SCM, Industry 4.0, Digitalization with FSCM, Circular Economy, Food Waste with Supply Chain, Food Security and Climate Change. These themes collectively bring transformative opportunities for both the adoption of digital technologies and sustainable practices in food supply chains.

The review found limitations are rooted in financial constraints, institutional barriers and expertise-related challenges encountered within the realm of Digitalization and FSC. Government and corporate houses should focus on these limitations as well as convert them to strengthen the SMEs of FSC.

The study stands out as a pioneering review that not only explores Digitalization in FSC but also explores the link and evidence of SMEs in the unorganized sector, providing unique insights into a previously underexplored area.

In modern China, sports and nationalism always have close connection, and nationalism is the important reason for the promotion of Chinese sports. However, the relationship between Chinese sports and nationalism in globalised China could be much more examined by academics, as well as its influencing factors. This chapter selects the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as the context and representative three Chinese sports heroes in the period of globalisation to study. The findings show that in some extent, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and three Chinese sports heroes represent the national image of China in the globalised world, also bearing the burden of washing away historical humiliation and pursuing national glory. Furthermore, it is manifested that China have a complex nationalism in the process of hosting the 2008 Olympic Games. Under the influence of mass media, market economy and sports professionalisation, nationalism still exists in Chinese sports, but people gradually start to reflect on the ‘Juguo Tizhi’, the traditional Chinese sports system and the concept of ‘winning glory for the nation’. The relationship between Chinese nationalism and sports shows the important implications of rapid Chinese sports development.

New quality productive forces (NQPF) are critical for high-quality economic development. As digital mergers and acquisitions (M&As) gain prominence in corporate digital transformation, understanding their impact on NQPF is essential. This study explores whether digital M&As enhance NQPF in firms and identifies key mechanisms that drive this effect.

This study investigates the impact of corporate digital M&As on NQPF using a multi-period difference-in-difference (DID) methodology. Analyzing a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2011 to 2021, the study explores how digital M&As contribute to NQPF, identifying firm innovation and data assets as key mechanisms. It also examines how external factors, such as industrial structure, urban human capital and economic policy uncertainty, moderate the effect of digital M&As on NQPF.

The study reveals three key findings: (1) Digital M&As significantly enhance corporate NQPF; (2) innovation and data assets serve as key mechanisms through which digital M&As drive NQPF and (3) external factors, including industrial structure, urban human capital and economic policy uncertainty, amplify the positive effects of digital M&As on NQPF.

Firms should leverage digital M&As as a strategic tool for improving NQPF, focusing on innovation and data assets. Policymakers can support this transformation by fostering an environment that enhances the positive impact of digital M&As on economic development.

This paper introduces a novel NQPF index, offering a comprehensive measurement of the concept. It provides new insights into how digital M&As affect NQPF, filling a gap in the literature on digital transformation and offering actionable recommendations for firms and policymakers.

This study aims to integrate perspectives of transaction costs and capabilities to investigate how the configurational fit between outsourcing strategies, asset specificity of projects and the capabilities of general contractors could achieve high outsourcing performance.

Employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, this study analyzes 31 outsourcing cases in construction projects to examine outsourcing performance under different combinations of transaction costs and capabilities.

The findings highlight six different but functionally equivalent configurations to high outsourcing performance, which vary according to attributes of projects and capabilities of contractors. Further, this study develops four context-dependent paths that link outsourcing strategies to high outsourcing performance: leading practitioner, collaborative manager, partnership dependent, and struggler.

How do contractors in construction projects navigate outsourcing practices to high performance? This study provides a configurational perspective to make outsourcing strategy decisions. Based on the firm’s capabilities and project asset specificity, contractors are encouraged to select from six different but functionally equivalent combinations and thereby four outsourcing strategies, namely leading practitioner, collaborative manager, partnership dependent, and struggler, to achieve high outsourcing performance.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a holistic perspective that integrates production and transaction costs to analyze contractors’ outsourcing strategies, contributing to the integration of the transaction cost perspective and capability perspective.

As project managers are in the central position of sustainable project management (SPM), their competencies become an important factor that affects the outcome of SPM. However, literature lacks a clear description of the project manager competence system required by SPM. The purpose of this study is to explore what competencies are required by sustainable project management and analyze the hierarchy and attributes of these competencies.

Aiming to address the problem, several methods were applied in this study. First, with a literature review, semi-structured interviews and Delphi technology, 23 project manager competencies required by SPM are identified. Second, the fuzzy interpretive structural modeling–matrix impact cross-reference multiplication applied to classification (FISM–MICMAC) method is used to analyze the data from 21 experienced project managers in the construction industry, revealing the hierarchy and attributes of the project manager competency system required by SPM.

The results indicate that the project manager competency system required by SPM includes nine micro levels. According to the nature of the competencies, these nine levels can be summarized into five macro levels. Furthermore, all competencies can be divided into three categories: independent, autonomous and dependent.

This study not only provides project managers and scholars with a further understanding of project manager competencies but also helps contractors make informed and objective judgments in the selection and/or appointments of project managers who have the appropriate competencies for SPM.

This study aims to design and implement a multimaterial system for printing multifunctional specimens suitable for various sectors, with a particular focus on biomedical applications such as addressing mandibular bone loss.

To enhance both the mechanical and biological properties of scaffolds, an automatic multimaterial setup using vat photopolymerization was developed. This setup features a linear system with two resin vats and one ultrasonic cleaning tank, facilitating the integration of diverse materials and structures to optimize scaffold composition. Such versatility allows for the simultaneous achievement of various characteristics in scaffold design.

The printed multimaterial scaffolds, featuring 20 Wt.% hydroxylapatite (HA) on the interior and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) with 1 Wt.% graphene oxide (GO) on the exterior, exhibited favorable mechanical and biological properties at the optimum postcuring and heat-treatment time. Using an edited triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structure further enhanced these properties. Various multimaterial specimens were successfully printed and evaluated, showcasing the capability of the setup to ensure functionality, cleanliness and adequate interface bonding. Additionally, a novel Gyroid TPMS scaffold with a nominal porosity of 50% was developed and experimentally validated.

This study demonstrates the successful fabrication of multimaterial components with minimal contaminations and suitable mechanical and biological properties. By combining PLLA-HA and PLLA-GO, this innovative technique holds significant promise for enhancing the effectiveness of regenerative procedures, particularly in the realm of dentistry.

There are three major processes in the surface mounting technology (SMT) manufacturing line, namely, printing, mounting and reflowing. During the reflow process, the printed solder pastes are melted into liquid and cooled down into solid again, forming the solder joint. During this process, because of the combined force of the liquid solder, the components will move from the placed location to the final location. This is known as the self-alignment performance in the reflow process. From the comparable studies, it is known that the reflow process with a longer time above the liquidus (TAL) results in better self-alignment performance, as well as higher peak temperatures of the reflow profiles. The TAL and the peak temperatures are influenced by multiple factors, but the experimental designs from the comparable studies kept the same ramping and cooling slopes to modify the TAL and the peak temperature. The purpose of this study is to study on the multiple factors influencing the TAL and the peak temperatures (ramping slope, cooling slope and peak temperature) by conducting designed experiments for each of the factors.

In this study, the TAL-influencing features are studied independently, including ramping slope, cooling slope and peak temperature; designed and conducted an experiment to reveal the relationship between the self-alignment and each of the three features; the statistical-based model for the combination of the three features for optimal self-alignment performance; and proposed a statistical-based simulation model for the offset after reflow.

The authors conducted a case study validating the mounter optimization model previously proposed. As a result, the optimized reflow profile improved the self-alignment performance by at least 10%, and the simulation within the error of 15 µm.

This research is statistical-based, which is limited to component types and sizes used in the design of experiments (DOE). The model proposed in this study can suggest a new reflow profile that can increase the self-alignment performance, which is critical to the solder joint quality, especially long-term quality.

This study can suggest a new reflow profile that can increase the self-alignment performance, which is critical to the solder joint quality, especially long-term quality.

This study can suggest a new reflow profile that can increase the self-alignment performance, which is critical to the solder joint quality, especially long-term quality.

The proposed statistical-based soldering reflow target profile optimization model offers a novel and practical approach. The soldering profile provided by the manufacturer contains recommended and acceptable ranges in the critical features. This study provides the optimal setting within the ranges.

This study aims to design a facility network for the weavers to do direct business in the Indian handloom industry by using tourists as potential customers.

Data from 4,001 weavers of the handloom industry and 82 tourist locations of Varanasi city were collected. This data was analysed using the k-mean and elbow methods to determine the locations and the optimal number of collection centres, selling stores and warehouses to provide opportunities for the weavers to do direct business.

The study's findings showed that a greater opportunity could be provided with four optimal collection centres and selling stores, along with two warehouses in the handloom industry of Varanasi city. These results provide valuable guidance for policymakers to plan the Varanasi handloom network of facilities efficiently and effectively to improve the conditions of weavers.

Determining the optimal locations is crucial for designing a facility network. The proposed network will aid the government and policymakers in comprehending and pinpointing potential sites to establish new facilities in the handloom industry in Varanasi, a city with tourism potential.