Qing Wang, Yadong Dou, Jiangxiong Li, Yinglin Ke, Patrick Keogh and Paul G. Maropoulos
The purpose of this paper is to present an optimal posture evaluation model to control the assembly gaps in aircraft wing assembly. The gaps between two mating surfaces should be…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an optimal posture evaluation model to control the assembly gaps in aircraft wing assembly. The gaps between two mating surfaces should be strictly controlled in precision manufacturing. Oversizing of gaps will decrease the dimensional accuracy and may reduce the fatigue life of a mechanical product. To reduce the gaps and keep them within tolerance, the relative posture (orientation and position) of two components should be optimized in the assembly process.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the step alignment strategy, i.e. preliminary alignment and refined alignment, the concept of a small posture transformation (SPT) is introduced. In the preliminary alignment, an initial posture is estimated by a set of auxiliary locating points, with which the components can be quickly aligned near each other. In the refined alignment, the assembly gaps are calculated and the formulation of the gaps with component posture is derived by the SPT. A comprehensive weighted minimization model with gap tolerance constraints is established for redistributing the gaps in multi-regions. Powell-Hestenes-Rockafellar optimization, Singular Value Decomposition and K-Dimensional tree searching are introduced for the solution of the optimal posture for localization.
Findings
Using the SPT, the trigonometric posture transformation is linearized, which benefits the iterative solution process. Through the constrained model, overall gaps are minimized and excess gaps are controlled within tolerance.
Practical implications
This method has been tested with simulated model data and real product data, the results of which have shown efficient coordination of mating components.
Originality/value
This paper proposed an optimal posture evaluation method for minimizing the gaps between mating surfaces through component adjustments. This will promote the assembly automation and variation control in aircraft wing assembly.
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Qi Wang, Renjing Gao, Shutian Liu and Chuan Liu
Recent development of wireless communication devices dictates that miniaturization, multi-functions and high integration are the important factors for antenna structures. This has…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent development of wireless communication devices dictates that miniaturization, multi-functions and high integration are the important factors for antenna structures. This has resulted in the requirement of antennas with dual or multi-frequency operations. Although the dual-band antennas can be achieved through the experience-based configuration selection with the parameter adjustment, it is still a challenging problem to design an antenna with specific dual-frequency operations effectively. The purpose of the paper is to develop an effective design method to guide the design of antennas with specific dual-frequency operations.
Design/methodology/approach
The topology optimization is carried out through the material distribution approach, where the patch of the antenna is taken as the design domain. The optimization formulation is established with maximizing the minimum antenna efficiency at the target frequencies. The sensitivity of the antenna efficiency with the design variables is derived, and the optimization problem is solved by a gradient-based algorithm.
Findings
Based on the proposed design method, an example of a patch antenna design for specific dual-frequency operations is presented. The performance of the designed antenna is cross-verified by experimentation, where the reflection coefficients (S11) obtained by simulation and experiment show a good agreement. The simulation and the experimentation of the designed antenna show that two operational bands are optimized to occur around the target frequencies, which confirms the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Originality/value
This paper presents a topology optimization-based design method for patch antennas operating at dual specific frequencies.
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Antonio Botti and Antonella Monda
The progressive increase in the size of datasets has given life to the so-called big data that provides researchers with the opportunity to extract a greater amount of useful…
Abstract
The progressive increase in the size of datasets has given life to the so-called big data that provides researchers with the opportunity to extract a greater amount of useful information in many sectors, especially in the tourism industry.
The chapter aims to demonstrate that sustainable tourism (ST) could be particularly favored by using big data and a data-driven approach. Furthermore, as ST appears in line with a new type of responsible entrepreneurship, called Humane Entrepreneurship (HumEnt), this chapter investigates the link between ST and HumEnt and the impact of big data and data-oriented approaches on ST and HumEnt.
The research adopts a qualitative approach, applying the case study technique. The authors conducted ten semi-structured interviews with key informants from a specific form of hospitality: Albergo Diffuso. Findings show the advantages of the data-driven approach to tourism and entrepreneurship highlighting how using data creates new opportunities for decision making in ST and HumEnt.
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YuBo Sun, Juliang Xiao, Haitao Liu, Tian Huang and Guodong Wang
The purpose of this paper is to accurately obtain the deformation of a hybrid robot and rapidly enable real-time compensation in friction stir welding (FSW). In this paper, a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to accurately obtain the deformation of a hybrid robot and rapidly enable real-time compensation in friction stir welding (FSW). In this paper, a prediction algorithm based on the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) optimized by the adaptive genetic algorithm (GA) is presented.
Design/methodology/approach
Via the algorithm, the deformations of a five-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) hybrid robot TriMule800 at a limited number of positions are taken as the training set. The current position of the robot and the axial force it is subjected to are used as the input; the deformation of the robot is taken as the output to construct a BPNN; and an adaptive GA is adopted to optimize the weights and thresholds of the BPNN.
Findings
This algorithm can quickly predict the deformation of a robot at any point in the workspace. In this study, a force-deformation experiment bench is built, and the experiment proves that the correspondence between the simulated and actual deformations is as high as 98%; therefore, the simulation data can be used as the actual deformation. Finally, 40 sets of data are taken as examples for the prediction, the errors of predicted and simulated deformations are calculated and the accuracy of the prediction algorithm is verified.
Practical implications
The entire algorithm is verified by the laboratory-developed 5-DOF hybrid robot, and it can be applied to other hybrid robots as well.
Originality/value
Robots have been widely used in FSW. Traditional series robots cannot bear the large axial force during welding, and the deformation of the robot will affect the machining quality. In some research studies, hybrid robots have been used in FSW. However, the deformation of a hybrid robot in thick-plate welding applications cannot be ignored. Presently, there is no research on the deformation of hybrid robots in FSW, let alone the analysis and prediction of their deformation. This research provides a feasible methodology for analysing the deformation and compensation of hybrid robots in FSW. This makes it possible to calculate the deformation of the hybrid robot in FSW without external sensors.
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Narender Kumar, Girish Kumar and Rajesh Kr Singh
The study presents various barriers to adopt big data analytics (BDA) for sustainable manufacturing operations (SMOs) post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemics. In this study…
Abstract
Purpose
The study presents various barriers to adopt big data analytics (BDA) for sustainable manufacturing operations (SMOs) post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemics. In this study, 17 barriers are identified through extensive literature review and experts’ opinions for investing in BDA implementation. A questionnaire-based survey is conducted to collect responses from experts. The identified barriers are grouped into three categories with the help of factor analysis. These are organizational barriers, data management barriers and human barriers. For the quantification of barriers, the graph theory matrix approach (GTMA) is applied.
Design/methodology/approach
The study presents various barriers to adopt BDA for the SMOs post-COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, 17 barriers are identified through extensive literature review and experts’ opinions for investing in BDA implementation. A questionnaire-based survey is conducted to collect responses from experts. The identified barriers are grouped into three categories with the help of factor analysis. These are organizational barriers, data management barriers and human barriers. For the quantification of barriers, the GTMA is applied.
Findings
The study identifies barriers to investment in BDA implementation. It categorizes the barriers based on factor analysis and computes the intensity for each category of a barrier for BDA investment for SMOs. It is observed that the organizational barriers have the highest intensity whereas the human barriers have the smallest intensity.
Practical implications
This study may help organizations to take strategic decisions for investing in BDA applications for achieving one of the sustainable development goals. Organizations should prioritize their efforts first to counter the barriers under the category of organizational barriers followed by barriers in data management and human barriers.
Originality/value
The novelty of this paper is that barriers to BDA investment for SMOs in the context of Indian manufacturing organizations have been analyzed. The findings of the study will assist the professionals and practitioners in formulating policies based on the actual nature and intensity of the barriers.
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Muhammad Iqmal Hisham Kamaruddin, Sofiah Md Auzair, Mohd Mohid Rahmat and Nurul Aini Muhamed
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of financial governance practices in influencing both financial management and Islamic work ethic practices to affect Islamic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of financial governance practices in influencing both financial management and Islamic work ethic practices to affect Islamic social enterprises (ISEs) accountability.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaires were administered to financial officers of 102 Malaysian ISEs. Data was analysed using Smart-PLS to examine the relationships between financial management, Islamic work ethic, financial governance and accountability.
Findings
Results of this study indicate direct relationship only exist between Islamic work ethic and accountability. The relationship between financial management and accountability are indirect through financial governance. Hence, the data proves that financial governance has a mediating role on both the relationships between financial management and Islamic work ethic with the accountability of the ISEs.
Research limitations/implications
The study has highlighted the greater role of financial management, Islamic work ethic and financial governance practices over accountability to achieve public trust, especially for Malaysian ISEs.
Practical implications
ISEs need to have good financial governance practices besides financial management and Islamic work ethic practices to achieve good accountability.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the field of management and social accounting by providing empirical evidence on the ISEs practices specifically on financial management, Islamic work ethic, financial governance and accountability. This framework thus presents amongst the first attempts in studying accountability issues in ISEs.
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This chapter discusses and investigates the sustainability reporting across different sectors. The first section discusses and investigates the relationship between sustainability…
Abstract
This chapter discusses and investigates the sustainability reporting across different sectors. The first section discusses and investigates the relationship between sustainability reporting and primary sector's performance (Agriculture and Food Industries Sector and Energy Sector). The second section discusses and investigates the relationship between sustainability reporting and secondary sector's performance (Manufacturing Sector). The final section discusses and investigates the relationship between sustainability reporting and tertiary sector's performance (Banks and Financial Services Sector, Retail Sector, Telecommunication and Information Technology Sector, and Tourism Sector).
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Siphiwe Zungu, Nicole Kandaswami, Taliya Gunpath, Naseeba Limalia, Tahlia Reddy, Divania Govender, Hilary T. Muguto and Paul-Francois Muzindutsi
This study examined the effect of good stewardship on agency costs and firm performance. The panel data analysis with the Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs) estimator was…
Abstract
This study examined the effect of good stewardship on agency costs and firm performance. The panel data analysis with the Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs) estimator was employed to analyze the effect of good stewardship on agency cost and the impact of good stewardship on the performance of 37 South African firms from 2007 to 2016. The findings of this study reveal that good stewardship has a significant positive effect on agency costs as well as firm performance, implying that the promotion of good stewardship should be accompanied by suitable strategies to manage additional agency costs.
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Rashed Al Karim, Ummea Jebunnesa and Md Karim Rabiul
This study aims to examine how perceived supervisor and organizational support mediate the association between talent management and work engagement in Bangladesh’s manufacturing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how perceived supervisor and organizational support mediate the association between talent management and work engagement in Bangladesh’s manufacturing industry. It also analyzes the association between work engagement and sustainable organizational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 385 employees working in the manufacturing industry in the Chattogram division, applying a convenience sampling approach. Data was assessed using SmartPLS software.
Findings
The key findings are that perceived supervisor and organizational support mediate the relationship between talent management practices and work engagement. Moreover, work engagement positively influences an organization’s sustainable performance.
Practical implications
This study adds knowledge to the existing literature on talent management, work engagement and sustainable organizational performance. The findings may improve employee work engagement through talent management practices in Bangladesh’s manufacturing industry.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few in the Bangladeshi manufacturing industry that provides an extensive overview of talent management practices and work engagement, using perceived supervisor and organizational support as mediating variables.
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Sabra Munir, Siti Zaleha Abdul Rasid, Muhammad Aamir, Farrukh Jamil and Ishfaq Ahmed
This paper aims to assess the impact of big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) on organizational innovation performance through process-oriented dynamic capabilities (PODC), as a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the impact of big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) on organizational innovation performance through process-oriented dynamic capabilities (PODC), as a mediator, as well as the moderating roles of organizational culture (OC) and management accountants, in this artificial intelligence (AI) era. This paper also aims to provide information on the emerging trends and implications of the abovementioned relationships by focusing on these relationships and interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study used the close-ended questionnaire approach based on the resource-based view and socio-materiality theories. This included sending questionnaires to top-level management, including Chief Financial Officer/Chief Executive Officers/Chief Information Officers (CFO/CEOs/CIOs), having an in-depth understanding of the concepts, practical applications and usage of big data as well as BDAC.181 valid questionnaire-based responses were analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modelling technique and bootstrapping moderated mediation method.
Findings
This study provides empirical insights into how BDAC impact innovative performance through PODC as well as the moderating effects of OC and management accountants. This involves a shift in focus from almost standardized approaches to developing BDAC without contextual focus on approaches that are much more heterogeneously related to each organization and hence are more focused on the context of the pharmaceutical industry.
Research limitations/implications
The main aim of key research questions in this study is to increase the contributions of BDAC toward improving innovation performance in the presence of the abovementioned variables and relationships that exist between them. The chosen research approach can be improved by carrying out interviews with the top management to obtain more relevant and detailed information for developing a better understanding of the abovementioned relationships.
Practical implications
This study outlines how organizations that are developing BDAC approaches can focus on relevant factors and variables to help their initiatives and its role in organizational innovative performance. This will also help them develop sustainable competitive advantage in manufacturing concerns, specifically in the health industry, namely, the pharmaceutical industry.
Originality/value
This study investigated the effects and implications of big data on organizations in the AI era that aim to achieve innovation performance. At the same time, it provides an original understanding of the contextual importance of investing in BDAC development. It also considers the role of management accountants as a bridge between data scientists and business managers in a big data environment, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. The current study used first-time data from surveys involving CFOs, CEOs or CIOs of pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan and analyzed the proposed model using bootstrapping moderated mediation analysis.