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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2006

José M. Sabater, Roque J. Saltarén, Rafael Aracil, Eugenio Yime and José M. Azorín

The aim of this paper is to present new robotic structures that can be suitable for inspection, maintenance and dismantling tasks in nuclear facilities.

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present new robotic structures that can be suitable for inspection, maintenance and dismantling tasks in nuclear facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first part, two types of parallel robots capable to climb through structures are presented. The kinematics of the proposed platforms is reviewed, with emphasis on the analysis of the singularities. Next section shows the control architecture and the hardware setup of the developed system. Finally, the prototypes developed are showed and some conclusions are obtained.

Findings

The slave robot is a parallel structure with the ability to climb over structures and with a very high load capacity. The master device is a parallel device with special characteristics that makes easier the teleoperation of the parallel slave robot.

Originality/value

The paper presents a teleoperation system based on parallel platform with 6 degrees of freedom to overcome the classical difficulties of teleoperation in nuclear facilities.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 33 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

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Article
Publication date: 14 June 2013

Jaime Martínez Verdú, José María Sabater Navarro, Vicente José González Penella, Nicolás Manuel García Aracil and Ángel Miguel López Buendía

Currently, the majority of designed robots are not well‐matched to their applications because designers do not employ a clear and organized design process. Additionally, the high…

341

Abstract

Purpose

Currently, the majority of designed robots are not well‐matched to their applications because designers do not employ a clear and organized design process. Additionally, the high cost of robotic systems makes it difficult to financially justify the use of this technology. The purpose of this paper is to present a new design process that gathers conceptual, kinematic and dynamic design, finite elements method (FEM), functional design and virtual reality control. Furthermore, kinematic and dynamic design can be obtained by traditional theory or standard computer tools (SCT) to accelerate the design. Through SCT fitted mathematical models and non‐mathematical virtual models may be acquired.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates the design process of a robot. First, the entire methodology is presented (including two new techniques for solving the kinematic and dynamic questions via SCT). Second, a case study using Autodesk® Inventor™ has been analysed to assess the feasibility of the method and techniques.

Findings

The more stages of the design process are considered, the more successful solutions become. Designers can obtain a mathematical solution for an analytically unsolvable robot fitting a mathematical model by SCT. To obtain a rapid design, designers must consider using SCT and following just in need (JIN) philosophy to find a non‐mathematical virtual model.

Originality/value

This paper presents an innovative guide for robotic engineers and researchers which covers the whole design process and new techniques for obtaining mathematical and non‐mathematical solutions.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 40 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

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Article
Publication date: 6 May 2020

Gorka Unzueta, Aritz Esnaola and Jose Alberto Eguren

In this study, a frame of reference was developed to adapt and execute a continuous improvement process (CIP) for reinforcing a continuous improvement (CI) culture in an…

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Abstract

Purpose

In this study, a frame of reference was developed to adapt and execute a continuous improvement process (CIP) for reinforcing a continuous improvement (CI) culture in an organisation. The study was undertaken in a mature capital goods company that did not succeed in institutionalising CI despite deploying many CI tools over the years. The organisation thus needed a model that was adapted to its reality and strengthened the aspects of CI through cultural changes at the organisational level.

Design/methodology/approach

Action research was used to implement the CIP, and this research method was reinforced using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyse the results.

Findings

The CIP was validated in four units of analysis within the organisation. For the validation, aspects relevant to organisational cultural change and their metrics were identified. The results showed that the main barriers to the development of CI in the case organisation were lack of teamwork and poor assimilation of new CI routines.

Research limitations/implications

The study was applied only in one organisation. Therefore, results cannot be generalized although the process and methodology followed to adapt and implement the CIP could be applied within other organisations.

Originality/value

The paper presents a CI frame of reference and describes how a CIP applied to a small- and medium-sized industrial enterprise generated cultural changes and promoted organisational excellence in the pursuit of CI, by using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology approach.

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Article
Publication date: 30 January 2009

Marcela Mejia, Néstor Peña, José L. Muñoz and Oscar Esparza

Mobile ad hoc networks rely on cooperation to perform essential network mechanisms such as routing. Therefore, network performance depends to a great extent on giving…

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Abstract

Purpose

Mobile ad hoc networks rely on cooperation to perform essential network mechanisms such as routing. Therefore, network performance depends to a great extent on giving participating nodes an incentive for cooperation. The level of trust among nodes is the most frequently used parameter for promoting cooperation in distributed systems. There are different models for representing trust, each of which is suited to a particular context and leads to different procedures for computing and propagating trust. The goal of this study is to analyze the most representative approaches for mobile ad hoc networks. It aims to obtain a qualitative comparison of the modeling approaches, according to the three basic components of a trust model: information gathering, information scoring and ranking, and action execution.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper identifies the different tasks required by a trust system and compares the way they are implemented when the system model itself is based on information theory, social networks, cluster concept, graph theory and game theory. It also provides a common nomenclature for the models. The study concentrates exclusively on the trust models themselves, without taking into account other aspects of the original articles that are beyond the scope of this analysis.

Findings

The study identifies the main components that a trust model must provide, and compares the way they are implemented. It finds that the lack of unity in the different proposed approaches makes it difficult to conduct an objective comparison. Finally, it also notices that most of the models do not properly manage node reintegration.

Originality/value

The best of our knowledge, the study is the first that uses information scoring and ranking as classification key. According to this key, approaches can be classified as based on information theory, clusters and social network theory, and cooperative and non‐cooperative game theory. It also provides a common nomenclature for all of them. Finally, the main contribution of the paper is to provide an analysis of the most representative approaches and present a novel qualitative comparison.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

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Article
Publication date: 8 June 2010

Nayat Sanchez‐Pi and Jose Manuel Molina

Taking into account the importance of e‐commerce and the current applications of AI techniques in this area, this research aims to adequate the design of a multi‐agent system for…

958

Abstract

Purpose

Taking into account the importance of e‐commerce and the current applications of AI techniques in this area, this research aims to adequate the design of a multi‐agent system for the provisioning of e‐services in u‐commerce environments. This proposal is centred on the methods of evaluation in a u‐e‐commerce environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The multi‐agent systems (MAS) approach is based on an MAS model developed for AmI that has been redesigned to support u‐commerce. The use of a recommendation system, previously developed by the research group, is suggested for this MAS. The methodological proposal centres on the evaluation of this type of system.

Findings

The evaluation of this type of system is the principal problem of current research. Therefore, this is the main contribution of the paper.

Research limitations/implications

The different evaluation methods that are proposed, whether qualitative or quantitative, offer the possibility of measuring the added value that the context can give to the use of e‐services in different domains of application. Qualitative evaluation should consider the customer as a central piece in the system. In addition, quantitative methods should objectively evaluate the contribution of context to the application.

Practical implications

At present, there is no single method for evaluating the benefits of different u‐commerce systems, so a new method needs to be found based on these techniques.

Originality/value

The research proposes an MAS designed for u‐commerce domains, analyzes the capacity of trust management techniques in this environment, and proposes several evaluation methods to show the benefits of context information in the use of e‐services. Several real developments are described to show the different applications of MAS in u‐commerce and how evaluation is carried out.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 20 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

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Article
Publication date: 18 November 2013

Juan José Tarí, Iñaki Heras-Saizarbitoria and Jorge Pereira

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the internalization of quality management (QM) on the basis of quality certifiable standards – also referred to as meta-standards – in…

2607

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the internalization of quality management (QM) on the basis of quality certifiable standards – also referred to as meta-standards – in service organizations. More specifically, the paper analyzes the case of the internalization of a quality standard in the Spanish hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the relationships between the measures of internalization, benefit, QM tools and motivation, using partial least squares in the framework of the structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

The results show that the hotels that have internalized the standard to a greater extent are more likely to be driven by internal motivation, develop more QM tools and achieve greater benefits than the hotels with a lower degree of internalization.

Originality/value

As previous studies have examined these issues in relation to the internalization of ISO standards, the present study adds to this important stream of research and contributes by advancing the understanding of these issues through the case of a specific standard for the hotel industry.

Details

Managing Service Quality, vol. 23 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

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Article
Publication date: 1 July 2004

25

Abstract

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

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Article
Publication date: 20 June 2017

Gabriel Centeno, Domingo Morales-Palma, Borja Gonzalez-Perez-Somarriba, Isabel Bagudanch, Juan José Egea-Guerrero, Luis Miguel Gonzalez-Perez, María Luisa García-Romeu and Carpóforo Vallellano

This paper aims to propose a functional methodology to produce cranial prostheses in polymeric sheet. Within the scope of rapid prototyping technologies, the single-point…

322

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a functional methodology to produce cranial prostheses in polymeric sheet. Within the scope of rapid prototyping technologies, the single-point incremental forming (SPIF) process is used to demonstrate its capabilities to perform customized medical parts.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology starts processing a patient’s computerized axial tomography (CAT) and follows with a computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) procedure, which finally permits the successful manufacturing of a customized prosthesis for a specific cranial area.

Findings

The formability of a series of polymeric sheets is determined and the most restrictive material among them is selected for the fabrication of a specific partial cranial prosthesis following the required geometry. The final strain state at the outer surface of the prosthesis is analysed, showing the high potential of SPIF in manufacturing individualized cranial prostheses from polymeric sheet.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a complete methodology to design and manufacture polymer customized cranial prostheses from patients’ CATs using the novel SPIF technology. This is an application of a new class of materials to the manufacturing of medical prostheses by SPIF, which to this purpose has been mainly making use of metallic materials so far. Despite the use of polymers to this application is still to be validated from a medical point of view, transparent prostheses can already be of great interest in medical or engineering schools for teaching and research purposes.

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Article
Publication date: 28 October 2024

Antonio J. Mateo-Márquez, José M. González-González and Constancio Zamora-Ramírez

This paper aims to analyze the influence of organizational and contextual factors on companies’ decisions to set absolute emissions targets and science-based targets (SBTs).

146

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the influence of organizational and contextual factors on companies’ decisions to set absolute emissions targets and science-based targets (SBTs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of 23,166 observations across 69 countries from 2016 to 2020 to analyze the likelihood of firms to establish absolute emissions targets and SBTs.

Findings

The results show that firm size, governance, climate-related regulation and moral acceptance in the country in question positively influence companies’ decisions on these matters. Furthermore, while profitability has a positive influence on the participation of companies in the SBT initiative (SBTi), both the financial risk involved and sector emissions intensity can discourage companies from participating in the SBTi or from establishing absolute emissions targets.

Practical implications

This study may allow regulators and policymakers to encourage carbon information disclosure with a greater focus on aspects that specifically contribute to evaluating ways of promoting effective behavior on the part of companies in the fight against climate change.

Social implications

The results of this study serve to support the demands of civil society, as well as to guide regulators in the design of measures in the fight against climate change and steer the decision-making of investors in moving toward a low carbon economy.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine whether organizational and contextual factors affect companies’ propensity to set absolute emissions targets and SBTs.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

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Article
Publication date: 7 November 2019

Antonio J. Mateo-Márquez, José M. González-González and Constancio Zamora-Ramírez

This study aims to analyse the relationship between countries’ regulatory context and voluntary carbon disclosures. To date, little attention has been paid to how specific climate…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the relationship between countries’ regulatory context and voluntary carbon disclosures. To date, little attention has been paid to how specific climate change-related regulation influences companies’ climate change disclosures, especially voluntary carbon reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

The New Institutional Sociology perspective has been adopted to examine the pressure of a country’s climate change regulation on voluntary carbon reporting. This research uses Tobit regression to analyse data from 2,183 companies in 12 countries that were invited to respond to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire in 2015.

Findings

The results show that countries’ specific climate change-related regulation does influence both the participation of its companies in the CDP and their quality, as measured by the CDP disclosure score.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is restricted to 12 countries’ regulatory environment. Thus, caution should be exercised when generalising the results to other institutional contexts.

Practical implications

The results are of use to regulators and policymakers to better understand how specific climate change-related regulation influences voluntary carbon disclosure. Investors may also benefit from this research, as it shows which institutional contexts present greater regulatory stringency and how companies in more stringent environments take advantage of synergy to disclose high-quality carbon information.

Social implications

By linking regulatory and voluntary reporting, this study sheds light on how companies use voluntary carbon reporting to adapt to social expectations generated in their institutional context.

Originality/value

This is the first research that considers specific climate change-related regulation in the study of voluntary carbon disclosures.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

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