Xiaomin Zhao, Fuminobu Ozaki, Takeo Hirashima, Kei Kimura, Yukio Murakami, Jun-ichi Suzuki and Naoya Yotsumoto
The main purpose of this study was to propose theoretical calculation models to evaluate the theoretical bending strengths of welded wide-flange section steel beams with local…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study was to propose theoretical calculation models to evaluate the theoretical bending strengths of welded wide-flange section steel beams with local buckling at elevated temperatures.
Design/methodology/approach
Steady-state tests using various test parameters, including width-thickness ratios (Class 2–4) and specimen temperatures (ambient temperature, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800°C), were performed on 18 steel beam specimens using roller supports to examine the maximum bending moment and bending strength after local buckling. A detailed calculation model (DCM) based on the equilibrium of the axial force in the cross-section and a simple calculation model (SCM) for a practical fire-resistant design were proposed. The validity of the calculation models was verified using the bending test results.
Findings
The strain concentration at the local buckling cross-section was mitigated in the elevated-temperature region, resulting in a small bending moment degradation after local buckling. The theoretical bending strengths after local buckling, evaluated from the calculation models, were in good agreement with the test results at elevated temperatures.
Originality/value
The effect of local buckling on the bending behaviour after the maximum bending strength in high-temperature regions was quantified. Two types of calculation models were proposed to evaluate the theoretical bending strength after local buckling.
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Hui Jiang, Jianjun Yi, Xiaomin Zhu and Zhao Li
This paper aims to develop methods for generating disassembly tasks for selective disassembly. The disassembly task contains the disassembly information, namely, disassembly…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop methods for generating disassembly tasks for selective disassembly. The disassembly task contains the disassembly information, namely, disassembly direction, disassembly tool and selective disassembly sequence.
Design/methodology/approach
Ontology is adopted to represent the product, and ontology rules are used to represent the disassembly knowledge. A product ontology model (POM) is introduced on the basis of material, connection matrix and interference matrix. Two types of disassembly knowledge are taken into account, one is the disassembly knowledge of disassembly tool selection and the other is the disassembly knowledge of special connections. Based on the POM and the disassembly knowledge, decision support methods are designed to generate disassembly tasks.
Findings
A centrifugal pump is used to demonstrate the proposed methods, and the result shows that the methods work well.
Research limitations/implications
The methods developed in this study are fundamental approaches. The ontology and the ontology rules can be extended with more disassembly knowledge.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this research is the development of methods for representing disassembly knowledge based on ontology rules and the decision support methods for generating disassembly tasks.
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Yongming Wang, Jinlong Wang, Qi Zhou, Sai Feng and Xiaomin Wang
This study aims to address the issues of limited pipe diameter adaptability and low inspection efficiency of current pipeline inspection robots, a new type of pipeline inspection…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address the issues of limited pipe diameter adaptability and low inspection efficiency of current pipeline inspection robots, a new type of pipeline inspection robot capable of adapting to various pipe diameters was designed.
Design/methodology/approach
The diameter-changing mechanism uses a multilink elastic telescopic structure consisting of telescopic rods, connecting rods and wheel frames, driven by a single motor with a helical drive scheme. A geometric model of the position relationships of the hinge points was established based on the two extreme positions of the diameter-changing mechanism.
Findings
A pipeline inspection robot was designed using a simple linkage agency, which significantly reduced the weight of the robot and enhanced its adaptive pipe diameter ability. The analysis determined that the robot could accommodate pipe diameters ranging from 332 mm to 438 mm. A static equilibrium equation was established for the robot in the hovering state, and the minimum pressing force of the wheels against the pipe wall was determined to be 36.68 N. After experimental testing, the robots could successfully pass a height of 15 mm, demonstrating the good obstacle capacity of the robot.
Practical implications
This paper explores and proposes a new type of multilink elastic telescopic variable diameter pipeline inspection robot, which has the characteristics of strong adaptability and flexible operation, which makes it more competitive in the field of pipeline inspection robots and has great potential market value.
Originality/value
The robot is characterized by the innovative design of a multilink elastic telescopic structure and the use of a single motor to drive the wheel for spiral motion. On the basis of reducing the weight of the robot, it has good pipeline adaptability, climbing ability and obstacle-crossing ability.
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Qian Pu, Xiaomin Zhu, Donghua Chen and Runtong Zhang
This paper aims to provide an optimization method of workflow for publishing houses and electronic book (e-book) studies in the field of digital publishing.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an optimization method of workflow for publishing houses and electronic book (e-book) studies in the field of digital publishing.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the studies of publishing houses in Beijing, the present conversion workflow is illustrated using a functional modeling methodology. Then, the workflow is analyzed using 5W1H (why, who, what, where, when, how) methodology and optimized using ECRSI (eliminate, combine, rearrange, simplify and increase) principles. To validate the optimization effect, the workflow before and after optimization are generated and implemented by the ExtendSim® simulation software.
Findings
The simulation results show that under similar circumstances, both quantity and quality of the products are improved after optimization, which indicate that the optimization method is effective.
Practical implications
Electronic PUBlication (EPUB) has significant requirements to satisfy the needs of the mobile reading market and to earn increased profits, whereas some e-books are still preserved in a portable document format (PDF). This study results in the enhanced EPUB quality and production efficiency of the PDF-to-EPUB format conversion workflow in publishing houses. Publishing houses around the world can refer to this study to make a similar optimization when handling PDF-to-EPUB.
Originality/value
This research introduces the traditional industrial engineering analytical techniques to the workflow optimization of e-book conversion. Compared with the most of other methods used to optimize workflow, this method is simpler, more efficient and more suitable for e-book format conversion.
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Xiaomin Fan, Yingzhi Xu, Yongqing Nan, Baoli Li and Haiya Cai
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of high-speed railway (HSR) on industrial pollution emissions using the data for 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of high-speed railway (HSR) on industrial pollution emissions using the data for 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2016.
Design/methodology/approach
The research method used in this paper is the multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model, which is an effective policy effect assessment method. To further address the issue of endogeneity, the DID integrated with the propensity score matching (PSM-DID) approach is employed to eliminate the potential self-selection bias.
Findings
The results show that the HSR has significantly reduced industrial pollution emissions, which is validated by several robustness tests. Compared with peripheral cities, HSR exerts a greater impact on industrial pollution emissions in central cities. In addition, the mechanism test reveals that the optimised allocation of inter-city industries is an important channel for HSR to mitigate industrial pollution emissions, and this is closely related to the location of HSR stations.
Originality/value
Previous studies have paid more attention to evaluating the economic effects of HSR, however, most of these studies overlook its environmental effects. Consequently, the impact of HSR on industrial pollution emissions is led by using multi-period DID models in this paper, in which the environmental effects are measured. The results of this paper can provide a reference for the pollution reduction policies and also the coordinated development of economic growth and environmental quality.
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In-Jo Park, Peter B. Kim, Shenayang Hai and Xiaomin Zhang
This study aims to investigate the impact of service employees’ agreeableness personality and daily self-esteem on their daily interpersonal behaviors in terms of interpersonal…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of service employees’ agreeableness personality and daily self-esteem on their daily interpersonal behaviors in terms of interpersonal harmony and counterproductive work behavior toward other individuals (CWB-I). Furthermore, this study examines whether the impact of daily self-esteem on daily interpersonal behaviors is moderated by the quality of service employees’ relationship with their manager and leader–member exchange (LMX).
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 111 restaurant employees in China who took daily surveys with 1,412 ratings for 10 consecutive days, a longitudinal analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses using hierarchical linear modeling.
Findings
The results show that agreeableness personality predicted daily interpersonal harmony but had no significant effect on daily CWB-I. It was also found that daily self-esteem predicted both daily interpersonal harmony and daily CWB-I, and LMX moderated the effect of daily self-esteem on daily interpersonal behaviors.
Practical implications
Given the fluctuation of employees’ interpersonal behaviors, organizations should guide the variability of interpersonal behaviors in the positive direction. To promote daily interpersonal harmony and reduce daily CWB-I, managers could focus on recruiting employees with agreeableness, offering daily self-esteem training and enhancing the quality of LMX.
Originality/value
This research is unique in its objectives to examine what influences service employees’ interpersonal behaviors on a daily basis and its methods to implement a longitudinal approach unlike previous studies that often relied on cross-sectional designs to enhance the ecological validity of the findings.
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Man Chen, Xiaomin Han, Xinguo Zhang and Feng Wang
The motion picture industry is a cultural and creative industry. Unlike its US counterpart, the Chinese motion picture industry is still developing. Therefore, learning from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The motion picture industry is a cultural and creative industry. Unlike its US counterpart, the Chinese motion picture industry is still developing. Therefore, learning from the US market, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the business model of Chinese movies from the perspective of new product diffusion.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on 66 movies released in the US and 21 movies released in China, this paper first compares the diffusion curves of Chinese and US movies through the movie life cycle and box office trends. Next, it analyzes the moviegoing behaviors of Chinese and US audiences based on the innovation and imitation coefficients in the Bass model. Finally, it compares the attention to information of Chinese and US audiences from the perspective of interpersonal word-of-mouth (WOM).
Findings
In the USA, a movie’s highest weekly box office is usually in its opening week, followed by a weekly decline in revenue; in China, there is no difference in box office performance between the first two weeks, but a weekly decline in revenue similarly follows. US audiences pay more attention to advertisements for movies than WOM recommendations, while Chinese people pay more attention to WOM recommendations. Neither the Chinese nor the US market differs in the volume of WOM between the first week before release and the opening week, and these two weeks are the most active period of WOM in both markets.
Practical implications
During the production phase for Chinese movies, we should satisfy opinion leaders’ needs. During the distribution phase, we should not only focus on market spending before the movie’s release, but also increase market spending in the opening week. During the theater release phase, we should stimulate WOM communication between moviegoers and thereby attract many more opinion seekers.
Originality/value
Few studies have investigated the Chinese motion picture industry from the perspective of new products. This paper compares and analyzes the diffusion of Chinese and US movies using the Bass model of new product diffusion, providing systematic theoretical guidelines for the commercial operation of the Chinese motion picture industry.
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Xiaomin Qi, Qiang Du, Patrick X.W. Zou and Ning Huang
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model considering synergy effect for prefabricated construction service combination selection.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model considering synergy effect for prefabricated construction service combination selection.
Design/methodology/approach
This research defines prefabricated construction service as a service-led construction method that meets the specific requirements of clients. Based on network theory, the multi-dimensional collaborative relationships of the prefabricated construction inter-services are formulated. The synergy effect is quantitatively calculated through the linear weighting of the strengths of collaborative relationships. Further, a weighted synergy network (WSN) is developed, from which a service composition selection model considering the synergy effect is established. Then, a genetic algorithm is employed to implement the model.
Findings
The results showed that (1) when the number of prefabricated construction services is increased, the synergy effect of combination options is enhanced; (2) The finer-grained prefabricated construction services, the stronger the synergy effect of service combination; (3) Clients have heterogeneous preferences for collaborative relationships, and there are differences in the synergy effect of service combination.
Originality/value
The contribution of this research includes proposed a method to quantify the synergy effect from the perspective of collaborative relationships, explored the specific procedure for the prefabricated construction service combination selection under the service-led construction, and provided a reference for promoting the development in construction. Besides, the model proposed could be applied to prefabricated construction service composition selection with diverse research boundaries or client preferences by executing the same procedure.
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Qiang Du, Xiaomin Qi, Patrick X.W. Zou and Yanmin Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to develop a bi-objective optimization framework to select prefabricated construction service composition. An improved algorithm-genetic simulated…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a bi-objective optimization framework to select prefabricated construction service composition. An improved algorithm-genetic simulated annealing algorithm (GSA) is employed to demonstrate the application of the framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The weighted aggregate multi-dimensional collaborative relationship is used to quantitatively evaluate the synergistic effect. The quality of service is measured using the same method. The research proposed a service combination selection framework of prefabricated construction that comprehensively considers the quality of service and synergistic effect. The framework is demonstrated by using a GSA that can accept poor solutions with a certain probability. Furthermore, GSA is compared with the genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing algorithm (SA) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) to validate the performance.
Findings
The results indicated that GSA has the largest optimal fitness value and synergistic effect compared with other algorithms, and the convergence time and convergence iteration of the improved algorithm are generally at a low level.
Originality/value
The contribution of this study is that the proposed framework enables project managers to clarify the interactions of the prefabricated construction process and provides guidance for project collaborative management. In addition, GSA helps to improve the probability of successful collaboration between potential partners, therefore enhancing client satisfaction.
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Xiaomin Xiao, Guang Fu, Pengpeng Song, Qingguo Peng, Naihui He, Taiqian Mo and Zhengwen Zhang
This paper aims to offer a comprehensive review and categorization of production optimization throughout the additive manufacturing lifecycle in a cloud environment. It aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to offer a comprehensive review and categorization of production optimization throughout the additive manufacturing lifecycle in a cloud environment. It aims to provide a structured approach to identifying and addressing issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper systematically reviews 75 technical papers on cloud manufacturing, nesting, scheduling and postprocessing in additive manufacturing. This includes a detailed discussion of the key issues.
Findings
This paper introduces a production framework for the entire lifecycle of additive manufacturing in a cloud environment. This framework aids in problem identification and decision-making based on the process flow. It provides an integrated view from cloud to postprocessing, examining decision interdependencies and enhancing problem identification and organization.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to review the complete lifecycle of additive manufacturing, emphasizing the often-overlooked aspects of postprocessing and cloud manufacturing. It offers a comprehensive study of lifecycle optimization challenges and suggests ways to streamline the production process.