You're using an outdated browser. Please upgrade to a modern browser for the best experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Carbon Quantum Dots
Carbon dots have gained tremendous interest attributable to their unique features. Two approaches are involved in the fabrication of quantum dots (Top-down and Bottom-up). Most of the synthesis methods are usually multistep, required harsh conditions, and costly carbon sources that may have a toxic effect, therefore green synthesis is more preferable. Herein, the current review presents the green synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and graphene quantum dots 
  • 2.1K
  • 06 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Air Displacement Pipette
Piston-driven air displacement pipettes are a type of micropipette, which are tools to handle volumes of liquid in the microliter scale. They are more commonly used in biology and biochemistry, and less commonly in chemistry; the equipment is susceptible to damage from many organic solvents.
  • 2.1K
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Photovoltaic-Thermal (PV-T) Systems for Energy provision in Buildings
Photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) collectors can be integrated with solar heating and cooling (SHC) technologies to generate electricity, heating and/or cooling. Some studies integrate concentrated PV-T collectors, air-based PV-T collectors and liquid-based PV-T collectors with cooling technologies to provide electricity, heating and cooling to buildings.
  • 2.1K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Blockchain Technology in Automobile Supply Chain
A robust traceability system would help organizations in inventory optimization reduce lead time and improve customer service and quality which further enables the organizations to be a leader in their industry sector. The traceability issues and waiting time at different nodes of the supply chain are considered to be priority issues that affect the overall supply chain efficiency in the automotive supply chain.  A new blockchain-based architecture was provided to improve traceability and reduce waiting time for the automotive supply chain. 
  • 2.0K
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Digital Transformation
The conceptual definition of digital transformation (DT) is composed of five corporate activities (AT Kearney) that increase a business’s competitiveness in response to changes in the business environment, which are triggered by new digital technologies, such as big data (BD), artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of things (IoT), smart factories (SF), cyber-physical systems (CPS), and interoperability (IOP). DT claims to maintain a sustainable business and positively impact overall business performance.
  • 2.0K
  • 28 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Paint Atomization and Paint Film Formation
The special surface appearance of complex surfaces restricts the coating film quality of spraying. The study of the atomization and film formation characteristics of typical complex surfaces, as well as the spraying mechanism, is essential for planning the spraying robotic trajectory and improving the spraying efficiency. Modeling and characteristics of the atomization and film formation process, based on CFD numerical simulations in previous studies, are systematically reviewed, focusing especially on airless spraying. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the existing research from the perspective of numerical models and methods are discussed. Finally, a further research direction for spraying on complex surface is prospected. Overall, a comprehensive and up-to-date review of spray atomization and film formation characteristics is considered valuable to practitioners and researchers in these fields, and will facilitate the further application of robotic spraying in the mechanical, automotive, marine, aerospace, petrochemical and other industries.
  • 2.0K
  • 22 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Nano Copper Lubricant Additives
Nanoparticles have as characteristics super sliding, extreme pressure, self-healing, etc., which can improve the friction reduction and anti-wear performance of sliding components, when used as lubricating oil additives. Nano-copper particles have a good synergistic effect with other antifriction agents, anti-wear agents, antioxidants and grease additives because of their low shear strength and grain boundary slip effect, showing a better anti-friction and anti-wear effect. However, nanoparticles are prone to conglomerate, and this causes a bottleneck in the application of dispersant for nano-copper in a lubricating oil system. The regulation of nanosized effect and surface properties has great engineering significance in compensating for the precision in manufacturing accuracy. 
  • 2.0K
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Surface Defect Detection
Automated visual inspection (AVI) instrument targeting on surface quality emerges as a standard configuration for metal planar materials (e.g., steel, aluminum, copper plates and strips, etc.) to improve product quality and promote production efficiency. A general AVI instrument provides two main functions of defect detection and classification. The former detection process recognizes defective regions from normal background without identifying what types of defects they are. The latter process is dedicated to identify and label detected defects to support finishing product grading. The classification accuracy is directly determined by the precision of defect detection; thus, the overall performance of an AVI system is mainly limited by the accuracy, time efficiency, and robustness of various algorithms in the process of defect detection. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional surface defect detection technologies are used for defect detection. According to the algorithm properties, the existing two-dimensional methodologies are categorized into four groups: statistical, spectral, model, and machine learning-based methods. On the basis of three-dimensional data acquisition, the three-dimensional technologies are divided into stereoscopic vision, photometric stereo, laser scanner, and structured light measurement methods. 
  • 1.9K
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Performance and Efficiency of Cross-Flow Fans
Cross-Flow Fans (CFFs) have been widely applied in the automotive and domestic air conditioning industries in recent decades. They are high-pressure coefficient turbomachines compacted diametrically, and thus, the complex interactions of these fans require thorough evaluation. Their innovation has opened up new directions in turbomachinery, and both academic research and industry have seen numerous efforts to develop these types of fans. Despite extensive work, optimizing and improving their performance remains a challenge. Enhancing their efficiency necessitates improvements in structural characteristics, aerodynamic features, and acoustic properties.
  • 1.9K
  • 19 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Competitive Swimwear
Competitive swimwear refers to the swimsuit, clothing, equipment, and accessories used in the aquatic sports of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, triathlon, and water polo. Some swimsuits are designed specifically for swimming competitions where they may be constructed of a special low resistance fabric that reduces skin drag. For some kinds of swimming and diving, special bodysuits called "diveskins" are worn. These suits are made from spandex and provide little thermal protection, but they do protect the skin from stings and abrasion. Most competitive swimmers also wear special swimsuits including partial bodysuits, racerback styles, jammers and racing briefs to assist their glide through the water thus gaining a speed advantage. Unlike regular swimsuits, which are designed mainly for the aesthetic appearances, swimsuits designed to be worn during competitions are manufactured to assist the athlete in swim competitions. They reduce friction and drag in the water, increasing the efficiency of the swimmer's forward motion. The tight fits allow for easy movement and are said to reduce muscle vibration, thus reducing drag. This also reduces the possibility that a high forwards dive will remove a divers swimwear. Starting around 2000, in an effort to improve the effectiveness of the swimsuits, engineers have taken to designing them to replicate the skin of sea-based animals, sharks in particular. In July 2009, FINA voted to ban non-textile (non-woven) swimsuits in competitive events from 2010. The new policy was implemented to combat the issues associated with performance enhancing swimsuits, hindering the ability to accurately measure the performance of swimmers. Subsequently, the new ruling states that men's swimsuits may maximally cover the area from the navel to the knee, and women's counterparts from the shoulder to the knee. Some swimmers use a specialized training suit called drag suits to artificially increase drag during practice. Drag suits are swimwear with an outer layer of looser fabric – often mesh or nylon – to increase resistance against the water and build up the swimmer's endurance. They come in a variety of styles, but most resemble a looser fitting square-cut or swim brief.
  • 1.9K
  • 06 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Double-Reheat Boiler in China
The ultra-supercritical (USC) double-reheat technology is an immediate area of research focus in China, since the thermal efficiency of USC double-reheat unit is higher than the USC single-reheat unit. The parameters and capacity of USC double-reheat unit in China have made major breakthroughs, and the thermal efficiency of the units are as high as 47–48%, which is the highest in the world. USC double-reheat boiler is one of the most important devices for USC double-reheat unit, and the design concept and precision have a vital effect on the operation of boiler and power station. The most difficult and important factors in the design of double-reheat boiler are the layout of heating surface and the steam temperature regulation method.
  • 1.9K
  • 24 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Lean Six Sigma Impact Analysis on Sustainability
Many world-class manufacturing companies use the concept of lean (L) as an improvement method. Its objectives are eliminating waste and non-value activities in production processes, cost reduction, and achieving faster service with less human effort, time, and equipment by applying tools and techniques that fulfill these objectives. Six Sigma (SS) is used in manufacturing industries to reduce and eliminate defects and variability in production, delivery and cycle times, forecasting, quality, customer service, and logistics, among others. It uses various methods, such as “define, measure, analyze, improve and control” (DMAIC) for existing processes, and “define, measure, analyze, design, and verify” (DMADV) for new products or processes. Both L and SS are complementary approaches to achieving good performance. Their integration is known as Lean Six Sigma (LSS). LSS identifies customer needs and eliminates waste while reducing process variability. 
  • 1.9K
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Innovation Capacity in Developing Countries
Innovation is an intrinsic capacity of humankind, enabling the adaptation to changes and managing probable solutions to problems regarding its welfare or its surroundings. It constitutes a key driver of sustainable growth. Moreover, innovation capacity is among the dynamic capacities leading to achieving a competitive and sustainable advantage. Hence, by adopting innovative and R&D practices, a country might enhance its growth and competitiveness, particularly for a developing country. In addition, it encompasses diverse perspectives, e.g., organizational capacity, public capacity, regional capacity, national capacity, among others. Therefore, many public and private organizations have focused their efforts on identifying and quantifying the variables that determine the innovation capacity of a country. Various mechanisms have been proposed to assess this capacity, such as the national innovation capacity, Global Innovation Index (GII), Global Competitive Index (GCI) , or European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS). These mechanisms aim at providing an objective measurement of the performance of a country regarding innovation capacity or innovation as a means to competitiveness. Each one of these presents a particular set of determinants, methods, and interpretations to assess innovation.
  • 1.9K
  • 05 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Implementing Industry 4.0 Principles and Tools in SME
Small and medium enterprises (SME) face various challenges in order to remain competitive in a global market. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is increasingly presented as the new paradigm for improving productivity, ensuring economic growth, and guaranteeing the sustainability of manufacturing companies. I4.0 refers to the integration of information technologies (internet of things, cyber–physical systems, cloud computing, AI, etc.) and automation (robots, cobots, automated guided vehicles, etc.) in every sphere of a company, vertically and horizontally, to improve performance. However, SMEs are ill equipped and lack resources to undertake this digital shift. 
  • 1.9K
  • 05 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Friction Spot Stir Welding
In the last decade, the friction stir welding of polymers has been increasingly investigated by the means of more and more sophisticated approaches. Since the early studies, which were aimed at proving the feasibility of the process for polymers and identifying suitable processing windows, great improvements have been achieved. This owes to the increasing care of academic researchers and industrial demands. These improvements have their roots in the promising results from pioneer studies; however, they are also the fruits of the adoption of more comprehensive approaches and the multidisciplinary analyses of results. The introduction of instrumented machines has enabled the online measurement of processing loads and temperature, and critical understanding of the principal aspects affecting the material flow and welds quality. Such improvements are also clearly demonstrated by the increase of the strength of recent joints (up to 99% of joining efficiency) as compared to those reached in early researches (almost 47%). This article provides a comprehensive review of the recent progresses on the process fundamentals, quality assessment and the influence of process parameters on the mechanical behavior. In addition, emphasis is given to new developments and future perspectives.
  • 1.8K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Efficient and Effective Rankings
In the simple words of Peter Drucker, efficiency is doing things right while effectiveness is doing the right things. Efficient and Effective Rankings are ranking classifications for Decision-Making Units (DMUs) based on a combination of the efficiency score (obtained by parametric or non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis frontier estimations) with a multiple effectiveness measure (often obtained using a Multicriteria Decision Analysis). This study aims at providing a non-compensatory ranking classification combining Conditional Frontier Analysis with the PROMETHEE II methodology for the multidimensional efficiency and effectiveness analysis of Police. The results on Pernambuco (Brazil) Police departments offer interesting perspectives for public administrations concerning prioritizations of units based on the mitigation of resources and strategic objectives.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Mechanical Properties of FDM
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) uses thermoplastic materials to print parts layer by layer. Usually, a (or several) continuous filament made of thermoplastic polymer is heated to the point of viscous state and extruded layer by layer on a platform to build the part. The thermo-plasticity properties of the material assist the fusing of layers together as well as the solidification process while the temperature is decreasing. Bonding between the layers will be generated due to the interaction of the molecules when one layer stays in a molten state and bound to the solid layer while solidifying. However, voids might appear between the layers due to the fast freezing of molten fibers or the lack of overlap between the extruded material and the solidified material. Therefore, these bonds exhibit mechanical properties unlike those created by the conventional manufacturing process and therefore it is difficult to predict the mechanical properties of FDM printed parts.
  • 1.8K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Joint-Design Strategies for Additive Manufacturing
Here, we aim to assess the current modelling and experimental achievements in the design for additive manufacturing of bonded joints, providing a summary of the current state of the art. To limit its scope, the document is focused only on polymeric additive manufacturing processes. As a result, this work contains a structured collection of the tailoring methods adopted for additively manufactured adherends and adhesives with the aim of maximizing bonded joint performance. 
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Model-Based Enterprise Approach in the Product Lifecycle Management
Innovations in product development and process technologies represent a promising strategy to face the increasing competitiveness of modern markets in the global economy. Also, customer requirements become more and more specific and the complexity of products is still increasing. Industries need to adopt effective solutions during the product development process and to support, for sustainable purposes, all the phases of the product lifecycle. Advanced model-based solutions emerge for digitally supporting these industrial needs. In this context, a Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) represents an organization that adopts modeling technologies, such as Model-Based Definition (MBD) solutions, to integrate and manage both technical and business processes related to product design, production, support, and retirement. Past research discusses the model-based approaches focusing on technical product development, mainly referring to the design and the manufacturing phases.
  • 1.8K
  • 08 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Sustainable Supply Chain
Supply chain sustainability (SCS) in the age of Industry 4.0 and Big Data is a growing area of research. However, there are no systematic and extensive studies that classify the different types of research and examine the general trends in this area of research. This paper reviews the literature on sustainability, Big Data, Industry 4.0 and supply chain management published since 2009 and provides a thorough insight into the field by using bibliometric and network analysis techniques. A total of 87 articles published in the past 10 years were evaluated and the top contributing authors, countries, and key research topics were identified. Furthermore, the most influential works based on citations and PageRank were obtained and compared. Finally, six research categories were proposed in which scholars could be encouraged to expand Big Data and Industry 4.0 research on SCS. This paper contributes to the literature on SCS in the age of Industry 4.0 by discussing the challenges facing current research but also, more importantly, by identifying and proposing these six research categories and future research directions.
  • 1.8K
  • 06 Jun 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 15
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Academic Video Service
Feedback