ISSN: 3005-8066 (Online)
3005-8058 (Print)
1 School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
2 Qingdao Jimo Qingli intelligent manufacturing industry Research Institute, Qingdao 266201, China
Center for Nanotechnology & Sustainability, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, 117576, Singapore
Asset Management Excellence (AME) has become essential for sustaining operational efficiency and long-term competitiveness in today’s digitally driven and increasingly complex industrial landscape. This study introduces an integrated roadmap that aligns Lean Six Sigma (LSS)—specifically the DMAIC methodology—with ISO 55001 standards to enhance asset reliability, optimize lifecycle performance, and support continuous improvement. The proposed model embeds principles such as lifecycle value optimization, risk-based decision-making, and sustainability. It leverages proven tools, including Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Statistical Process Control (SPC), predictive maintenance, and real-time monitoring to enable proactive, data-driven asset management. This integration supports efficiency, reduces variability, and extends asset life. Performance is measured through key indicators such as Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and lifecycle cost-efficiency. These metrics enable organizations to monitor progress, validate improvements, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. The study also addresses common implementation challenges across financial, organizational, workforce, technological, and structural domains. It proposes targeted mitigation strategies, including phased implementation, cost-benefit analyses, stakeholder engagement, digital readiness assessments, and capacity-building programs to enhance adoption and long-term sustainability. While conceptual, the roadmap offers a practical, scalable approach to embedding LSS within asset management systems. It fosters a transition from reactive to proactive practices, enhancing resilience, sustainability, and strategic value. Future research will validate the framework through sector-specific case studies and pilot implementations.
The rapid advancement of Industry 4.0 technologies has catalyzed the development of intelligent tools and methodologies to enhance operational efficiency, reliability, and productivity across modern industrial enterprises. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), a foundational approach in manufacturing, traditionally improves equipment reliability, reduces downtime, and drives continuous improvement through proactive employee involvement. However, in the context of Smart Manufacturing, traditional TPM reveals significant limitations—chiefly its reliance on manual data collection, reactive maintenance, and limited real-time insight. This paper explores TPM’s evolution, key innovations, and cross-industry applications while highlighting challenges in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies. It proposes a comprehensive TPM 4.0 framework integrating Lean Six Sigma’s DMAIC methodology with advanced digital tools for systematic failure mode classification, risk-based maintenance prioritization, and real-time performance optimization. Leveraging IIoT-enabled condition monitoring, Digital Twin simulations, and machine learning-driven predictive analytics, the framework supports real-time anomaly detection, cognitive diagnostics, and adaptive maintenance planning—substantially improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), cost efficiency, and system resilience. Additionally, federated learning promotes scalable, privacy-preserving AI collaboration, while blockchain enhances data security and transparency, mitigating cybersecurity risks. By merging traditional TPM with AI-driven automation and digital sustainability, TPM 4.0 establishes a foundation for self-optimizing, cyber-resilient maintenance ecosystems, accelerating the transition to autonomous manufacturing. Although conceptual, this framework offers a practical roadmap for smart manufacturing transformation, with future validation planned through case studies and pilot projects.
CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions have become a major environmental issue worldwide, and emissions have spiked faster than most could ever imagine. The issues have made it crucial to find financially feasible and long-term, use-efficient solutions that fulfill industrial needs. As society so much depends on the current industry outputs, we need to reduce emissions coming from those industrial facilities and premises where people shop and buy services and assets on a daily basis. These emissions need to be reduced on a global scale, and here, concrete as a building material comes into play as one of the most used materials, especially on industrial floors. A typical solution is a sturdy base slab with a use case-specific coating on it. The base slab is expected to last the whole life of the building, whereas the coating might be considered consumable and refurbished/fixed as a maintenance job many times before the building itself is demolished. In heavy use cases, the maintenance cycle might be fast, which reduces the usable time of the building and generates downtimes for business. The coating decisions have a major impact on the building’s lifetime emissions, which is the key focus of this study, too. Bad decisions can introduce unnecessary microplastics and nano dust particles to work environments and also generate restructuring needs of the operational activities. In the worst case, operations have to be shut down. Luckily, there are options, and emissions can be reduced in many ways. By using long-term and durable cementitious mix-based dry shake coatings, one can reduce top coating-based emissions, and by decreasing the amount of used reinforcement components in the base slab, an extra positive impact can be achieved. With a base slab, also more environmentally friendly low-carbon cement formulations can be considered, like fly ash or GGBS (ground granulated blast furnace slag) based formulas, which we discuss in detail and analyses traditional options compared to modern CEM3a and CEM3b versions. For the top coating, emissions are generated in the construction and maintenance phases. To find different options with cross implications on lifetime emissions, our study analyzes CO2 emissions sources for several concrete mixes, which are then paired with floor-top coatings based on Cementous mix or epoxy coating. We have pinpointed the potential for reducing the building’s floor-based lifetime CO2 emissions. The analysis is based on the impacts of the base slab and floor coating selection combinations. As a de facto comparison element, we used a 100 percent virgin Portland cement-based mix. The Portland cement was compared to CEM3a and CEM3b mixes. On the top surface of the floor, traditional epoxy base floor coating was compared to a modern dry shake-based option. In the analysis, the dry-shake-based floor showed major benefits. Emissions were drastically reduced, fewer maintenance downtimes were needed, and the general life expectancy was a lot longer for the dry shake option.
In today’s rapidly evolving and highly competitive global markets, achieving product development excellence is critical for organizations striving for sustained growth and customer-centric innovation. This study highlights the integral role of key quality management tools in enhancing product development processes, reducing defects, and driving continuous improvement. It presents a robust methodology that strategically combines Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) framework to significantly improve the quality, reliability, and efficiency of product development efforts. Built on core principles of customer-centricity, innovation, cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement, and risk-based thinking, the methodology emphasizes capturing the Voice of the Customer (VoC) and identifying Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) attributes to align product outcomes with customer expectations and business objectives. Utilizing the DMAIC framework, the organization systematically drives process optimization and innovation throughout the product lifecycle Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are established to track efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction, and time-to-market, while Agile methodologies enhance flexibility, speed, and responsiveness. The study further identifies organizational, technical, cultural, and managerial barriers to product development excellence and proposes targeted strategies to address them and ensure sustainable success. This integrated framework fosters a culture of innovation and continuous learning, enabling organizations to anticipate challenges, manage risks, and consistently deliver superior product development outcomes. While currently conceptual, the framework is slated for empirical validation through case studies, pilot projects, and simulations to verify its practical applicability across diverse development contexts.
With global broiler production reaching 103 million tons in 2024—a 1.5% increase over 2023—the poultry industry continues to grow rapidly. However, traditional broiler segmentation methods struggle to meet modern demands for speed, precision, and adaptability. First, this study proposes an improved lightweight image segmentation algorithm based on YOLOv8-seg and integrates the Segment Anything Model (SAM) for semi-automatic annotation, achieving precise mask segmentation of broiler parts. Subsequently, Key geometric features (e.g., area, perimeter, axes) were extracted using image processing techniques, with enhancements from HSV color transformation, convex hull optimization, and ellipse fitting. Furthermore, Image calibration was applied to convert pixel data to physical dimensions, enabling real-sample validation. Using these features, multiple regression models—including CNNs—were developed for carcass quality prediction. Finally, by analyzing the broiler segmentation process, machine vision techniques were effectively integrated with quality grading algorithms and applied to intelligent broiler segmentation production lines, providing technical support for the intelligent and efficient processing of poultry products. The improved YOLOv8-seg model achieved mAP@0.5:box scores of 99.2% and 99.4%, and the CNN model achieved R2 values of 0.974 (training) and 0.953 (validation). Compared to traditional systems, the intelligent broiler cutting line reduced failure rates by 11.38% and improved operational efficiency by over 3%, offering a reliable solution for automated poultry processing.
At the time of the study, most of the municipal waste, including solid municipal waste, in the city of St. Petersburg and in the connected larger Leningrad region is processed by landfilling. This sort of waste processing in open landfills causes environmental damage, uncontrollable landfill fires, bad and dangerous odors, nearby rivers/streams, groundwater pollution, CH4 and CO2 emissions, to mention a few. Additionally, landfilling is a waste of energy and material resources present in the content dumped into landfills. In this context, Waste-to-Energy (WtE) incineration is a process that we use to recover the energy the materials have back to usable form, which we use in the form of heat and electricity. Even though a lot of resources and energy are available in the (municipal solid) waste, it does not mean that recovering it would always make sense. Our study analyses and estimates the profitability of a WtE incineration plant(s) in the city of St. Petersburg and the connected Leningrad region. With the available data and following analysis, we have concluded that the WtE incineration is economically feasible in this specific region and city areas, given that the implementations follow more traditional (economically less expensive and easier) technical and process model solutions. As a note of results stability, it needs to be pointed out that the changes in estimates of gate fees, cost of electricity and heat, and so on do impact the economic feasibility a lot, and larger scale changes in the assumed revenues would have a high impact on the outcome of repeatability of the results.
Selective laser melting (SLM) is one of the additive manufacturing (AM) methods and the most studied laser-based AM process for metals and alloys. The optimization of the laser process parameters of SLM and the prediction of defects such as cracks, keyholes, and lack of fusion (LOF) are significant for improving the product quality of SLM. Deep learning (DL) has the potential to analyze complex processes and predict anomalies; however, much data is generally needed for training a DL model. Experimental studies on AM, such as SLM, often use the design of experiments (DOE) to reduce the number of experiments and save costs and time. Therefore, much experimental data is not prepared to create the DL model. This paper deals with creating a DL model on a small experimental data set with unbalanced data and predicting the defect LOF of SLM using the created DL model. Data analytics is performed based on four DL methods, including the Elman neural network, the Jordan neural network, the deep neural network (DNN) with weights initialized by the deep belief network (DBN), and the regular DNN based on the algorithms ‘rprop+’ and ‘sag’. It is shown that the regular DNN based on the ‘sag’ algorithm, after the z-score standardization of the small data set, helps create an accurate DL model and achieve good analytics and prediction results. The three other DL methods in this paper do not work well on the small data set (with unbalanced data) in the defect prediction.
The use of hybrid composites can be environmentally friendlier than the traditional materials since renewable resources, both natural and synthetic fibres can be incorporated into the composites, resulting in lighter weight, enhanced resource efficiency, durability, and biodegradability, which could potentially make them sustainable materials for structural applications. Basalt fibre being treated with hydrochloric acid exhibits superior adhesion with the epoxy matrix, improving overall strength and stiffness. Thus, the aim of this paper is to determine the eco-efficiency of two types of hybrid composites: glass/basalt and carbon/basalt fibre-reinforced under flexural loading. The flexural strengths of these composites were obtained through a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model using Ansys workbench. These simulation-based flexural strengths form the basis for the quadratic regression model to establish a relationship between the different flexural strengths and fibre volume fractions combinations. Given the required flexural strength between 900 and 1300 MPa, the optimal candidates/layups were identified with the aid of the model. An environmental study following a life cycle assessment (LCA) and eco-efficiency framework of unidirectional glass/basalt and carbon/basalt fibre-reinforced hybrid composites with varying fibre volume fractions is presented in this paper to select the eco-efficient composites. In the case of glass/basalt fibre-reinforced hybrid composites, the designs with the highest eco-efficiency for 900 and 1200 MPa are [BG3]S with more glass fibre and [G7B] with more glass fibre, respectively, due to having lower costs and environmental impacts. For carbon/basalt fibre-reinforced composites, the stacking sequence [B8] was deemed to be the most eco-efficient. Finally, epoxy has the highest economic and environmental cost. Therefore, composite designs with high glass fibre content are considered eco-efficient since they have a lower epoxy content.
The increasing demand for high-performance Wide-Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, including GaN, SiC, and emerging Ultrawide-Bandgap (UWBG) materials such as Ga2O3 and diamond, has driven significant advancements in epitaxial growth techniques. However, achieving scalability, defect-free growth, and sustainability remains a major challenge. This review systematically evaluates Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD), Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE), and other novel growth and hybrid growth techniques, emphasizing energy efficiency, defect control, and environmental impact. Industry 4.0-driven AI-based process optimization and closed-loop recycling have emerged as transformative strategies, reducing waste and improving manufacturing efficiency. Key findings reveal that HVPE enables rapid defect-free GaN fabrication, Hot-Filament CVD enhances SiC growth with superior thermal properties, and Atomic Layer Epitaxy (ALE) achieves sub-nanometer precision crucial for next-generation quantum and RF applications. Despite these advancements, p-type doping in UWBG materials, substrate compatibility, and thermal management remain unresolved challenges. Future research must focus on scalable eco-friendly epitaxy, novel doping mechanisms, and policy-driven sustainability efforts. This review provides a comprehensive roadmap for sustainable WBG semiconductor manufacturing, bridging materials innovation, energy efficiency, and industrial adoption to support the next generation of power electronics and optoelectronics.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are transforming manufacturing processes, offering unprecedented opportunities to enhance sustainability and environmental stewardship. This comprehensive review analyzes the transformative impact of AI technologies on sustainable manufacturing, focusing on critical applications, including energy optimization, predictive maintenance, waste reduction, and circular economy implementation. Through systematic analysis of current research and industry practices, the study examines both the opportunities and challenges in deploying AI-driven solutions for sustainable manufacturing. The findings provide strategic insights for researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers working towards intelligent and sustainable manufacturing systems while elucidating emerging trends and future directions in this rapidly evolving field.
Digital twin technology develops virtual models of objects digitally, simulating their real-world behavior based on data. It aims to reduce product development cycles and costs through feedback between the virtual and real worlds, data fusion analysis, and iterative decision-making optimization. Traditional manufacturing processes often face challenges such as poor real-time monitoring and interaction during machining, difficulties in diagnosing equipment failures, and significant errors in machining. Digital twin technology offers a powerful solution to these issues. Initially, a comprehensive review of the research literature was conducted to assess the current research scope and trends. This was followed by an explanation of the basic concepts of digital twins and the technical pathway for integrating digital twins into intelligent manufacturing including outlining the essential technologies for creating a system of interaction between the virtual and real worlds, enabling multimodel fusion, data sensing, algorithm-based prediction, and intelligent decision-making. Moreover, the application of digital twins in intelligent manufacturing throughout the product life cycle was detailed, covering product design, manufacturing, and service stages. Specifically, in the manufacturing phase, a model based on heat conduction theory and visualization was used to construct a time-varying error model for the motion axis, leading to experiments predicting the time-varying error in the hole spacing of a workpiece. These experiments achieved a minimum prediction error of only 0.2 μm compared to the actual error. By compensating for time-varying errors in real time, the variability in the hole spacing error decreased by 69.19%. This paper concludes by summarizing the current state of digital twins in intelligent manufacturing and projecting future trends in key technologies, application areas, and data use, providing a basis for further research.
In the manufacturing process, in addition to the properties of material itself, the quality of a product is directly related to the cutting process. Cutting force and cutting heat are two crucial factors in cutting processing. Researchers can analyze various signals during cutting process, such as cutting force signal, vibration signal, temperature signal, etc., which can regulate force and temperature, optimize the cutting process, and improve product quality. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to various signals in cutting process. Meanwhile, good-quality signal data sets will greatly reduce time, resource and labor costs for subsequent use or analysis of researchers. Therefore, how to collect high-quality signals effectively and accurately is the first step. At present, researchers prefer to use various sensors to collect signals. With the advancement of science and technology, intelligent tool holder appears in researchers’ vision. It integrates multiple systems such as sensors, data collection, data transmission, and power supply on the tool holder. It replaces traditional wired sensors, and it is highly interactive with CNC machine tools. This paper will carry out a systematic review and prospect from three aspects: the structural design of the intelligent tool holder, the signal monitoring technology of the intelligent tool holder, and the tool condition monitoring of the intelligent tool holder.
Providing rapid, efficient, inexpensive, and resilient solutions is an eminent and urgent need for emergency relief conditions, mainly and increasingly driven by the impacts of climate change. Under such disastrous circumstances, the current practice involves preparation, dispatching and managing significant amounts of materials, resources, manpower, and transportation of basic needs, which can be hindered remarkably by infrastructure damage and massive loss of lives. However, an emerging technology known as 3D printing (3DP) can play a significant role and rapidly bring unlimited innovative solutions in such conditions with much lesser resources to meet the necessities of large populations affected. Considering the recent progress of 3DP technology and applications in different industrial and consumer sectors, this study aims to provide an analysis of the status and current progress of 3DP technology in various fields to understand and present its potential for readiness and response to disasters, emergency and relief need driven by climate change. Secondly, this study also presents a sustainability assessment of 3DP technology for such cases to evaluate economic, environmental, and social impacts. Finally, policies and strategies are suggested to adapt 3DP technology in different sectors to prepare for large-scale emergencies.
Technological innovations, education, business and society change quickly and often unpredictably. The fusion of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (XR) opens a new era in which work, production, communication and thought processes are massively transformed. In this context, the challenge arises: How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adapt to this accelerated change? This study highlights a path forward and introduces the concept of “SME 5.0” or “Hybrid SME” or “SME of Tomorrow” as a comprehensive solution to address the complexities of the digital age. In this integrated exploration of the X.0 Wave Theory and SME 5.0 Concept, the framework for human civilization’s evolution and technological shifts converges with a practical roadmap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigating the dynamic digital landscape. Acknowledging transformative waves in technology, economics, and societal structures within the X.0 Wave Theory, the study accentuates the ongoing nature of these shifts. It advocates for a long-term perspective, urging policymakers and industry leaders to consider potential future scenarios to devise strategies fostering innovation, competitiveness, and privacy safeguards. Simultaneously, the study introduces SME 5.0 as a holistic solution for SMEs, aligning with the transformative success envisioned by the X.0 Wave Theory. Proposing the Seven Pillars of Sustainability (7PS) framework tailored to SMEs, the concept emphasizes digitalization and sustainable technology. The title, “Harmonizing the X.0 Wave Theory and SME 5.0 Concept”, encapsulates the synergy between theoretical underpinnings and practical solutions. The subtitle, “Fostering Sustainable Collaboration, 7PS Engineering, and Overcoming Legal Challenges in the Digital Age”, provides a glimpse into the study’s focus on practical implications, sustainability, engineering, and legal considerations for SMEs in the rapidly evolving digital era.
Nickel-based alloys has important application value in modern industrial field, but there are a lot of problems that are difficult to solve in traditional processing, and it is a typical difficult-to-process material. In order to improve the machinability of nickel-based alloys, scholars try to use a variety of non-traditional processing methods to explore and study the processing of nickel-based alloys. In these studies, ultrasonic vibration assisted processing technology and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) processing technology can achieve remarkable results. The intermittent separation cutting characteristics of ultrasonic vibration assisted processing technology can improve the processing quality by changing the tool path, while minimum quantity lubrication processing technology can improve the lubrication effect of cutting, combining ultrasonic vibration assisted MQL processing leverages the benefits of both methods, resulting in improved machinability and expanded application of nickel-based alloys. Summarize the current research status on the machining mechanism of nickel-based alloys assisted by ultrasonic vibration and micro lubrication, and anticipate its developmental trends. This provides a reference for future research on the efficient machining mechanisms and practical applications of nickel-based alloys.
The wheel hub is an important part of the automobile, and machining affects its service life and driving safety. With the increasing demand for wheel productivity and machining accuracy in the automotive transport sector, automotive wheel production lines are gradually replacing human production. However, the technical difficulties of conventional automotive wheel production lines include insufficient intelligence, low machining precision, and large use of cutting fluid. This paper aims to address these research constraints. The intelligent, sustainable manufacturing production line for automobile wheel hub is designed. First, the machining of automotive wheel hubs is analyzed, and the overall layout of the production line is designed. Next, the process equipment system including the fixture and the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) system are designed. The fixture achieves self-positioning and clamping functions through a linkage mechanism and a crank–slider mechanism, respectively, and the reliability of the mechanism is analyzed. Finally, the trajectory planning of the robot with dual clamping stations is performed by RobotStodio. Results show the machining parameters for a machining a wheel hub with a diameter of 580 mm are rotational speed of 2500 rpm, cutting depth of 4 mm, feed rate of 0.5 mm/r, and minimum clamping force of 10881.75 N. The average time to move the wheel hub between the roller table and each machine tool is 27 s, a reduction of 6 s compared with the manual handling time. The MQL system effectively reduces the use of cutting fluid. This production line can provide a basis and reference for actual production by reasonably planning the wheel hub production line.
This research paper explores the financial adoption challenges of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in industry. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on designing affordable IIoT devices, reducing operational costs, and creating conceptual frameworks to assess the financial impact of IIoT adoption. The objective of this paper is to investigate whether IIoT adoption’s financial benefits outweigh the initial costs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The data from the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) database were analyzed, focusing on 62 U.S. manufacturing SMEs across 10 states and 25 Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs), evaluating projected IIoT implementation costs and anticipated cost savings. Results from the analyses reveal that statistically, the difference between implementation costs and savings is significant at a 95% confidence level. Practically, this indicates that SMEs, despite facing high initial costs, can expect these investments to be counterbalanced by substantial savings. From an engineering perspective, this finding raises awareness among SMEs that, beyond overcoming financial barriers, IIoT technologies serve as a strategic enhancement to operational efficiency and competitive positioning. This study acknowledges the limitations including reliance on estimated projections and a narrow industry focus. Future research should broaden the sample and explore the lifecycle costs of IIoT.
The increasing demand for high-performance Wide-Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, including GaN, SiC, and emerging Ultrawide-Bandgap (UWBG) materials such as Ga2O3 and diamond, has driven significant advancements in epitaxial growth techniques. However, achieving scalability, defect-free growth, and sustainability remains a major challenge. This review systematically evaluates Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD), Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE), and other novel growth and hybrid growth techniques, emphasizing energy efficiency, defect control, and environmental impact. Industry 4.0-driven AI-based process optimization and closed-loop recycling have emerged as transformative strategies, reducing waste and improving manufacturing efficiency. Key findings reveal that HVPE enables rapid defect-free GaN fabrication, Hot-Filament CVD enhances SiC growth with superior thermal properties, and Atomic Layer Epitaxy (ALE) achieves sub-nanometer precision crucial for next-generation quantum and RF applications. Despite these advancements, p-type doping in UWBG materials, substrate compatibility, and thermal management remain unresolved challenges. Future research must focus on scalable eco-friendly epitaxy, novel doping mechanisms, and policy-driven sustainability efforts. This review provides a comprehensive roadmap for sustainable WBG semiconductor manufacturing, bridging materials innovation, energy efficiency, and industrial adoption to support the next generation of power electronics and optoelectronics.
With the development of the manufacturing industry, there is an increasing demand for high-efficiency processing, high-precision processing, and high-temperature processing. The characteristics of ceramic tools, such as high hardness and wear resistance, make them suitable for high-precision processing. Additionally, their excellent high temperature resistance perfectly meets the requirements of high temperature processing. However, ceramic tools have a relatively low strength and are prone to breakage, which limits their application in some high-strength machining fields. Their low toughness and brittleness also lead to easy cracking and reduced tool life, resulting in frequent tool changes that further limit processing efficiency. Therefore, improving the service life of ceramic tool materials is crucial to enhance processing efficiency and achieve significant economic benefits. With the development of material science, solid additives with toughening and strengthening properties have greatly improved the performance of ceramic tool materials and given ceramic tools new life-enhancing properties, such as lubrication and repair. By utilizing the combined action of one or more solid additives and employing surface coating technology, the service life of ceramic cutting tools is significantly extended. This makes the application of ceramic tools in industrial cutting more and more widely, and the demand is also growing rapidly. However, the mechanism and methods of various solid additives to increase the life of ceramic tool materials have not been systematically reviewed. The analysis of the composition and functional properties of ceramic tool materials was used as a basis to summarize the mechanism by which various solid additives improve the service life of ceramic tool materials, and to provide points for attention in their use. The aim is to assist researchers in designing and preparing new ceramic tool materials that can meet processing requirements. Finally, the research status, challenges, and prospects of enhancing the service life of ceramic cutting tools with solid additives are summarized, providing a foundation for further research.
In the manufacturing process, in addition to the properties of material itself, the quality of a product is directly related to the cutting process. Cutting force and cutting heat are two crucial factors in cutting processing. Researchers can analyze various signals during cutting process, such as cutting force signal, vibration signal, temperature signal, etc., which can regulate force and temperature, optimize the cutting process, and improve product quality. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to various signals in cutting process. Meanwhile, good-quality signal data sets will greatly reduce time, resource and labor costs for subsequent use or analysis of researchers. Therefore, how to collect high-quality signals effectively and accurately is the first step. At present, researchers prefer to use various sensors to collect signals. With the advancement of science and technology, intelligent tool holder appears in researchers’ vision. It integrates multiple systems such as sensors, data collection, data transmission, and power supply on the tool holder. It replaces traditional wired sensors, and it is highly interactive with CNC machine tools. This paper will carry out a systematic review and prospect from three aspects: the structural design of the intelligent tool holder, the signal monitoring technology of the intelligent tool holder, and the tool condition monitoring of the intelligent tool holder.utf-8
Nickel-based alloys has important application value in modern industrial field, but there are a lot of problems that are difficult to solve in traditional processing, and it is a typical difficult-to-process material. In order to improve the machinability of nickel-based alloys, scholars try to use a variety of non-traditional processing methods to explore and study the processing of nickel-based alloys. In these studies, ultrasonic vibration assisted processing technology and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) processing technology can achieve remarkable results. The intermittent separation cutting characteristics of ultrasonic vibration assisted processing technology can improve the processing quality by changing the tool path, while minimum quantity lubrication processing technology can improve the lubrication effect of cutting, combining ultrasonic vibration assisted MQL processing leverages the benefits of both methods, resulting in improved machinability and expanded application of nickel-based alloys. Summarize the current research status on the machining mechanism of nickel-based alloys assisted by ultrasonic vibration and micro lubrication, and anticipate its developmental trends. This provides a reference for future research on the efficient machining mechanisms and practical applications of nickel-based alloys.utf-8
Digital twin technology develops virtual models of objects digitally, simulating their real-world behavior based on data. It aims to reduce product development cycles and costs through feedback between the virtual and real worlds, data fusion analysis, and iterative decision-making optimization. Traditional manufacturing processes often face challenges such as poor real-time monitoring and interaction during machining, difficulties in diagnosing equipment failures, and significant errors in machining. Digital twin technology offers a powerful solution to these issues. Initially, a comprehensive review of the research literature was conducted to assess the current research scope and trends. This was followed by an explanation of the basic concepts of digital twins and the technical pathway for integrating digital twins into intelligent manufacturing including outlining the essential technologies for creating a system of interaction between the virtual and real worlds, enabling multimodel fusion, data sensing, algorithm-based prediction, and intelligent decision-making. Moreover, the application of digital twins in intelligent manufacturing throughout the product life cycle was detailed, covering product design, manufacturing, and service stages. Specifically, in the manufacturing phase, a model based on heat conduction theory and visualization was used to construct a time-varying error model for the motion axis, leading to experiments predicting the time-varying error in the hole spacing of a workpiece. These experiments achieved a minimum prediction error of only 0.2 μm compared to the actual error. By compensating for time-varying errors in real time, the variability in the hole spacing error decreased by 69.19%. This paper concludes by summarizing the current state of digital twins in intelligent manufacturing and projecting future trends in key technologies, application areas, and data use, providing a basis for further research.utf-8
The wheel hub is an important part of the automobile, and machining affects its service life and driving safety. With the increasing demand for wheel productivity and machining accuracy in the automotive transport sector, automotive wheel production lines are gradually replacing human production. However, the technical difficulties of conventional automotive wheel production lines include insufficient intelligence, low machining precision, and large use of cutting fluid. This paper aims to address these research constraints. The intelligent, sustainable manufacturing production line for automobile wheel hub is designed. First, the machining of automotive wheel hubs is analyzed, and the overall layout of the production line is designed. Next, the process equipment system including the fixture and the minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) system are designed. The fixture achieves self-positioning and clamping functions through a linkage mechanism and a crank–slider mechanism, respectively, and the reliability of the mechanism is analyzed. Finally, the trajectory planning of the robot with dual clamping stations is performed by RobotStodio. Results show the machining parameters for a machining a wheel hub with a diameter of 580 mm are rotational speed of 2500 rpm, cutting depth of 4 mm, feed rate of 0.5 mm/r, and minimum clamping force of 10881.75 N. The average time to move the wheel hub between the roller table and each machine tool is 27 s, a reduction of 6 s compared with the manual handling time. The MQL system effectively reduces the use of cutting fluid. This production line can provide a basis and reference for actual production by reasonably planning the wheel hub production line.utf-8
Providing rapid, efficient, inexpensive, and resilient solutions is an eminent and urgent need for emergency relief conditions, mainly and increasingly driven by the impacts of climate change. Under such disastrous circumstances, the current practice involves preparation, dispatching and managing significant amounts of materials, resources, manpower, and transportation of basic needs, which can be hindered remarkably by infrastructure damage and massive loss of lives. However, an emerging technology known as 3D printing (3DP) can play a significant role and rapidly bring unlimited innovative solutions in such conditions with much lesser resources to meet the necessities of large populations affected. Considering the recent progress of 3DP technology and applications in different industrial and consumer sectors, this study aims to provide an analysis of the status and current progress of 3DP technology in various fields to understand and present its potential for readiness and response to disasters, emergency and relief need driven by climate change. Secondly, this study also presents a sustainability assessment of 3DP technology for such cases to evaluate economic, environmental, and social impacts. Finally, policies and strategies are suggested to adapt 3DP technology in different sectors to prepare for large-scale emergencies.utf-8
With the development of the manufacturing industry, there is an increasing demand for high-efficiency processing, high-precision processing, and high-temperature processing. The characteristics of ceramic tools, such as high hardness and wear resistance, make them suitable for high-precision processing. Additionally, their excellent high temperature resistance perfectly meets the requirements of high temperature processing. However, ceramic tools have a relatively low strength and are prone to breakage, which limits their application in some high-strength machining fields. Their low toughness and brittleness also lead to easy cracking and reduced tool life, resulting in frequent tool changes that further limit processing efficiency. Therefore, improving the service life of ceramic tool materials is crucial to enhance processing efficiency and achieve significant economic benefits. With the development of material science, solid additives with toughening and strengthening properties have greatly improved the performance of ceramic tool materials and given ceramic tools new life-enhancing properties, such as lubrication and repair. By utilizing the combined action of one or more solid additives and employing surface coating technology, the service life of ceramic cutting tools is significantly extended. This makes the application of ceramic tools in industrial cutting more and more widely, and the demand is also growing rapidly. However, the mechanism and methods of various solid additives to increase the life of ceramic tool materials have not been systematically reviewed. The analysis of the composition and functional properties of ceramic tool materials was used as a basis to summarize the mechanism by which various solid additives improve the service life of ceramic tool materials, and to provide points for attention in their use. The aim is to assist researchers in designing and preparing new ceramic tool materials that can meet processing requirements. Finally, the research status, challenges, and prospects of enhancing the service life of ceramic cutting tools with solid additives are summarized, providing a foundation for further research.utf-8
This research paper explores the financial adoption challenges of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in industry. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on designing affordable IIoT devices, reducing operational costs, and creating conceptual frameworks to assess the financial impact of IIoT adoption. The objective of this paper is to investigate whether IIoT adoption’s financial benefits outweigh the initial costs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The data from the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) database were analyzed, focusing on 62 U.S. manufacturing SMEs across 10 states and 25 Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs), evaluating projected IIoT implementation costs and anticipated cost savings. Results from the analyses reveal that statistically, the difference between implementation costs and savings is significant at a 95% confidence level. Practically, this indicates that SMEs, despite facing high initial costs, can expect these investments to be counterbalanced by substantial savings. From an engineering perspective, this finding raises awareness among SMEs that, beyond overcoming financial barriers, IIoT technologies serve as a strategic enhancement to operational efficiency and competitive positioning. This study acknowledges the limitations including reliance on estimated projections and a narrow industry focus. Future research should broaden the sample and explore the lifecycle costs of IIoT.utf-8
Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG), which superimposes high-frequency, micro-amplitude ultrasonic vibration onto conventional grinding (CG), offers several advantages, including a high material removal rate, low grinding force, low surface roughness, and minimal damage. It also addresses issues such as abrasive tool clogging, thereby enhancing machining efficiency, reducing tool wear, and improving the surface quality of the workpiece. In recent years, the rapid development of advanced materials and improvements in UVAG systems have accelerated the progress of UVAG technology. However, UVAG still faces several challenges in practical applications. For example, the design and optimization of the ultrasonic vibration system to achieve high-precision, large-amplitude, and high-efficiency grinding remain key issues. Additionally, further theoretical and experimental studies are needed to better understand the material removal mechanism, the dynamics of grinding force, abrasive tool wear, and their effects on surface quality. This paper outlines the advantages of UVAG in machining advanced materials, reviews recent progress in UVAG research, and analyzes the current state of ultrasonic vibration systems and ultrasonic grinding characteristics. Finally, it summarizes the limitations of current research and suggests directions for future studies. As an emerging machining technology, UVAG faces challenges in many areas. In-depth exploration of the theoretical and experimental aspects of high-precision, large-amplitude, and high-efficiency ultrasonic vibration systems and UVAG is essential for advancing the development of this technology.utf-8
Despite that ocean current energy is one of the promising sources of electricity produced in the ocean, the development of ocean current energy is far behind compared to other ocean energy due to the low efficiency and high cost of installation and maintenance. Among many converting devices, the Savonius turbine has been proven to be effective and competitive in harnessing ocean current energy. The primary purpose of the present study is to search for the optimum shape of a Savonius rotor based on CFD simulation (Star-CCM+). A Savonius turbine composed of two rotating cup-shaped rotors is selected as a numerical model. We focus on the effect of two geometry parameters such as the overlap and gap ratio on the power coefficient. Throughout the parametric study, the shape of a Savonius rotor affects the power performance, and two geometry parameters with an overlap ratio of 0.15 and a gap ratio of −0.03 are found to be the optimum design. It demonstrates stable performance within the wide TSR (Tip Speed Ratio) range of 0.6 to 1.6, with the maximum power coefficient Cp of 0.34 achieved at a TSR of 0.8. According to the numerical results based on the new CFD model, the presence of a bottom wall does not significantly affect the performance of a Savonius turbine. It means that the present unbounded CFD model can be acceptable in the initial design stage for the determination of the geometry parameters of a Savonius turbine.utf-8
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are transforming manufacturing processes, offering unprecedented opportunities to enhance sustainability and environmental stewardship. This comprehensive review analyzes the transformative impact of AI technologies on sustainable manufacturing, focusing on critical applications, including energy optimization, predictive maintenance, waste reduction, and circular economy implementation. Through systematic analysis of current research and industry practices, the study examines both the opportunities and challenges in deploying AI-driven solutions for sustainable manufacturing. The findings provide strategic insights for researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers working towards intelligent and sustainable manufacturing systems while elucidating emerging trends and future directions in this rapidly evolving field.utf-8