http://www.hindawi.com The latest articles from Hindawi Publishing Corporation © 2013 , Hindawi Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved. Mon, 13 May 2013 15:04:31 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/682532/ This paper presents an analytical literature review on fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD) of papers published between 2000 and 2011. In this review, publications were divided into two main groups. First group included publications which proposed some models to develop FQFD. The second one was related to new applications of FQFD models. Next, publications were analyzed and research gaps and future directions were presented. We reached some conclusions including the following. (i) Most of studies were focused on quantitative methods to accomplish phase 1 of QFD or House of Quality (HoQ). The most employed techniques were multicriteria decision making (MCDM) methods. (ii) Although main purpose of using QFD was product development, other factors such as risk and competiveness analysis should be considered in product development process. (iii) A promising approach is using of metaheuristic methods for solving complicated problems of FQFD. (iv) There are a few studies on completing all phases of FQFD. Mohammad Abdolshah and Mohsen Moradi Copyright © 2013 Mohammad Abdolshah and Mohsen Moradi. All rights reserved. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:56:46 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/915241/ Developments in environmental issues in the last few years have been forcing manufacturing companies to improve their environmental performances. Many firms developed integrated relationships with their suppliers to increase their environmental performance and to decrease their hazardous effects on the environment. Then, selecting suitable and green suppliers in the supply chain has become a key strategic consideration. A performance evaluation system for green suppliers is necessary to determine the suitability of suppliers to cooperate with the firm. Therefore, in this study, a model for evaluating green performance of suppliers is proposed, and a hybrid multicriteria decision making model is developed in order to evaluate green performance of the suppliers. The analytical network process technique is applied to handle the relationships and dependence of selection criteria and subcriteria and determine weights of the criteria. The technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution is used to sequence the suppliers for ideal solution of the suppliers’ green performance evaluation problem. After a comprehensive literature survey, evaluation criteria of green performance for suppliers are determined. Finally, green performance of 18 suppliers of an automobile company was evaluated by this model. These 18 suppliers manufacture chassis and its components. Gülşen Akman and Hamit Pışkın Copyright © 2013 Gülşen Akman and Hamit Pışkın. All rights reserved. Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:57:59 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/793568/ The paper studies a kind of deteriorating seasonal product whose deterioration rate can be controlled by investing on the preservation efforts. In contrast to previous studies, the paper considers the seasonal and deteriorating properties simultaneously. A deteriorating inventory model is developed for this problem. We also provide a solution procedure to find the optimal decisions about the preservation technology investment, the market price, and the ordering frequency. Then a case study is used to illustrate the model and the solution procedure. Finally, sensitive analysis of the optimal solution with respect to major parameters is carried out. Yong He and Hongfu Huang Copyright © 2013 Yong He and Hongfu Huang. All rights reserved. Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:58:48 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/298103/ There is a need to include environmental waste alongside other lean wastes. Current concepts of environmental waste focus on the total production of waste from a plant. However waste is generated by individual processes within the production. Therefore focused management of waste requires engineers to know what and where waste is being generated. This is often simply not known with any accuracy. This work offer a solution by developing a method to integrate environmental waste into the lean method of Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Specifically it integrate corporate environmental standards with the VSM process, thereby permitting established lean improvement process to be focused at specific environmental improvement actions. Application of the method is demonstrated in a manufacturing setting, representing a variety of environmental impacts. The deployment is capable of being generalised to any number of environmental factors. It is able to represent a customised waste index for a particular industry. Several ways to represent the multidimensional environmental wastes were explored via industry focus group. The resulting method can be used by production staff to quantify environmental impacts at the level of the individual process and aggregated to report wastes for the whole value stream. T. J. Roosen and D. J. Pons Copyright © 2013 T. J. Roosen and D. J. Pons. All rights reserved. Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:21:23 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/295604/ Chip attach is the bottleneck operation in semiconductor assembly. Chip attach scheduling is in nature unrelated parallel machine scheduling considering practical issues, for example, machine-job qualification, sequence-dependant setup times, initial machine status, and engineering time. The major scheduling objective is to minimize the total weighted unsatisfied Target Production Volume in the schedule horizon. To apply -learning algorithm, the scheduling problem is converted into reinforcement learning problem by constructing elaborate system state representation, actions, and reward function. We select five heuristics as actions and prove the equivalence of reward function and the scheduling objective function. We also conduct experiments with industrial datasets to compare the -learning algorithm, five action heuristics, and Largest Weight First (LWF) heuristics used in industry. Experiment results show that -learning is remarkably superior to the six heuristics. Compared with LWF, -learning reduces three performance measures, objective function value, unsatisfied Target Production Volume index, and unsatisfied job type index, by considerable amounts of 80.92%, 52.20%, and 31.81%, respectively. Zhicong Zhang, Kaishun Hu, Shuai Li, Huiyu Huang, and Shaoyong Zhao Copyright © 2013 Zhicong Zhang et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:00:25 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/841584/ This paper is designed to present the effectiveness of group multicriteria decision making in automotive manufacturing company focusing on the selection of suppliers in Malaysia. The process of selecting suppliers is one of the most critical and challenging endeavor in any supply chain management. There are five decision making tools being analyzed in this study, namely, analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS), and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process integrated with fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (FAHPiFTOPSIS). The scores of ranking among the suppliers in each MCDM tools (AHP, FAHP, TOPSIS, FTOPSIS, and FAHPiFTOPSIS) show significantly comparable variation. Scores of the best supplier is then compared to the lowest supplier for all MCDM tools whereby this reflects that the highest percentage goes to TOPSIS with scoring of 79.37%. On the contrary, FAHPiFTOPSIS demonstrated the lowest score variation of 22.42% which indicates that FAHPiFTOPSIS is able to eliminate biasness in supplier selection process. Nadia Jamil, Rosli Besar, and H. K. Sim Copyright © 2013 Nadia Jamil et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:04:31 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/851092/ An evaluation of the inventory policy at an offshore vessel company was conducted. Currently the items in inventory are used at random intervals as they are used only when parts fail. To solve the problem of reducing a very large inventory but keep enough to allow an uninterrupted service to the customer, we propose a real and economically efficient multicriteria inventory policy using inventory classification method integrated with a preventive maintenance program. The proposed method can be summarized in the following three steps: first, rank the parts according to both the lead time from supplier and the cost of downtime failure and use a matrix display to show the most critical items. In the second step develop a preventive maintenance program for the most critical parts to minimize downtime due to failure. Finally in the third step standardize most critical parts to reduce the inventory which saves the company money while maintaining the same level of service to its customers. Our study showed that the company with a very large inventory could effectively reduce its size by focusing on key parts. Jalel Ben Hmida, Grant Regan, and Jim Lee Copyright © 2013 Jalel Ben Hmida et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 10 Mar 2013 08:38:35 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/278546/ Maintenance is one of the central issues in operational activities, which involve any type of equipment. In this paper we have considered analysis, modeling, and scheduling of preventive maintenance operations for fuel dispensers in a chain of gas stations. A gas station company with more than 570 dispensers in more than 40 stations is considered and the maintenance problem is studied in detail. Operations research tools, including maintenance models and linear programming, were used to establish optimum schedules for preventive maintenance operations. Detailed cost analyses were carried out to determine feasibility of the proposed preventive maintenance schedules. Models and procedures presented in this paper could guide operation engineers and maintenance managers in solving similar problems for operational improvements. Mehmet Savsar Copyright © 2013 Mehmet Savsar. All rights reserved. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:59:34 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/625638/ Today’s standard robotic systems often do not meet the industry’s demands for accurate high-speed robotic applications. Any machine, be it an existing or a new one, should be pushed to its limits to provide “optimal” efficiency. However, due to the high complexity of modern applications, a one-step overall optimization is not possible. Therefore, this contribution introduces a step-by-step sequence of multiple nonlinear optimizations. Included are optimal configurations for geometric calibration, best-exciting trajectories for parameter identification, model-based control, and time/energy optimal trajectory planning for continuous path and point-to-point trajectories. Each of these optimizations contributes to the improvement of the overall system. Existing optimization techniques are adapted and extended for use with a standard industrial robot scenario and combined with a comprehensive toolkit with discussions on the interplay between the separate components. Most importantly, all procedures are evaluated in practical experiments on a standard robot with industrial control hardware and the recorded measurements are presented, a step often missing in publications in this area. Hubert Gattringer, Roland Riepl, and Matthias Neubauer Copyright © 2013 Hubert Gattringer et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:24:22 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/767914/ Failure occurrence in industrial systems can be a result of a sequence of failures leading to a total system failure. Up to now, several methods to determine failure sequences and to calculate probability of such failures have been proposed. These methods primarily focus on modeling aspects of the problem and do not present a certain framework to determine potential failure sequences. In this paper, a novel approach based on Petri net modeling of the systems is proposed and several heuristic algorithms are developed. Determination of potential failures in sample industrial problems and comparing the results with other existing methods demonstrates that the presented algorithms are much more efficient in dealing with complex Petri net models while existing methods are not capable of handling such complicated models. Abolfazl Doostparast Torshizi, Jamshid Parvizian, and Farshad Tooyserkani Copyright © 2013 Abolfazl Doostparast Torshizi et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:00:50 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/518908/ The firefighting operation motion has an important impact on the safety and comfort of firefighting operation. As a judgment criterion of the firefighting efficiency, the comfort level is hard to judge in that it is completely decided by human feeling, so the comprehensive fuzzy evaluation is utilized for evaluation of comfort level. In this paper, firstly the factor and judgment set of firefighting operation comfort level are determined, and the fuzzy weight evaluation is obtained by questionnaires and analytic hierarchy process. Secondly, the joint angles of some particular motions are determined by motion capture equipment, the moment is obtained by ergonomic engineering software, and then the comprehensive comfort evaluation on firefighting operation motion is completed. Finally, the objective evaluation system of firefighting operation comfort is established. Lifang Yang, Tianjiao Zhao, and Fanyu Meng Copyright © 2013 Lifang Yang et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:32:29 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/709083/ This paper studies the effect of inflation and customer returns on joint pricing and inventory control for deteriorating items. We adopt a price and time dependent demand function, also the customer returns are considered as a function of both price and demand. Shortage is allowed and partially backlogged. The main objective is determining the optimal selling price, the optimal replenishment cycles, and the order quantity simultaneously such that the present value of total profit in a finite time horizon is maximized. An algorithm has been presented to find the optimal solution. Finally, we solve a numerical example to illustrate the solution procedure and the algorithm. Maryam Ghoreishi, Alireza Arshsadi khamseh, and Abolfazl Mirzazadeh Copyright © 2013 Maryam Ghoreishi et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:59:17 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/572072/ Commissioning is essential in plant-modification projects, yet tends to be ad hoc. The issue is not so much ignorance as lack of systematic approaches. This paper presents a structured model wherein commissioning is systematically integrated with risk management, project management, and production engineering. Three strategies for commissioning emerge, identified as direct, advanced, and parallel. Direct commissioning is the traditional approach of stopping the plant to insert the new unit. Advanced commissioning is the commissioning of the new unit prior to installation. Parallel commissioning is the commissioning of the new unit in its operating position, while the old unit is still operational. Results are reported for two plant case studies, showing that advanced and parallel commissioning can significantly reduce risk. The model presents a novel and more structured way of thinking about commissioning, allowing for a more critical examination of how to approach a particular project. Kris Lawry and Dirk John Pons Copyright © 2013 Kris Lawry and Dirk John Pons. All rights reserved. Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:24:09 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/201907/ This paper presents a new procedure to solve multiobjective problems, where the objectives are distributed to various working groups and the decision process is centralized. The approach is interactive and considers the preferences of the working groups. It is based on two techniques: an interactive technique that solves multi-objective problems based on goal programming, and a technique called “linear physical programming” which considers the preferences of the working groups. The approach generates Pareto-optimal solutions. It guides the director in the determination of target values for the objective functions. The approach was tested on two problems that present its capacity to generate Pareto-optimal solutions and to show the convergence to compromise solutions for all the working groups. Chantal Baril, Soumaya Yacout, and Bernard Clément Copyright © 2013 Chantal Baril et al. All rights reserved. Wed, 02 Jan 2013 09:08:32 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/960581/ Recently, the end-of-service life for aging aircraft and related parts has become a key subject in recycling industries worldwide. Over the next 20 years, approximately 12,000 aircraft currently utilized for different purposes will be at the end of service. Thus, reclaiming retired aircraft by environmentally responsible methods while retaining some of the value becomes a significant need. Recycling aircraft components and using these in different applications will reduce the consumption of natural resources as well as landfill allocations. Compared to the production of virgin materials, recycling aircraft will also reduce air, water, and soil contaminations, as well as energy demand. In the present study, we have investigated the environmental benefits of recycling and reusing aircraft components in the same or similar applications as low-energy input materials. During the aircraft recycling, most of the aircraft components can be recycled and reused after reasonable modifications and investments. Eylem Asmatulu, Michael Overcash, and Janet Twomey Copyright © 2013 Eylem Asmatulu et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:27:44 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/987172/ Technology is becoming pervasive across all facets of our lives today. Technology innovation leading to development of new products and enhancement of features in existing products is happening at a faster pace than ever. It is becoming difficult for the customers to keep up with the deluge of new technology. This trend has resulted in gross increase in use of new materials and decreased customers' interest in relatively older products. This paper deals with a novel model in which the stationary demand is fulfilled by remanufactured products along with newly manufactured products. The current model is based on the assumption that the returned items from the customers can be remanufactured at a fixed rate. The remanufactured products are assumed to be as good as the new ones in terms of features, quality, and worth. A methodology is used for the calculation of optimum level for the newly manufactured items and the optimum level of the remanufactured products simultaneously. The model is formulated depending on the relationship between different parameters. An interpretive-modelling-based approach has been employed to model the reverse logistics variables typically found in supply chains (SCs). For simplicity of calculation a deterministic approach is implemented for the proposed model. R. N. Mahapatra, B. B. Biswal, and P. K. Parida Copyright © 2013 R. N. Mahapatra et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 30 Dec 2012 09:45:10 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/268708/ Better utilization of manpower, providing product flexibility, increasing productivity, decreasing lead time, reduction in handling cost, increased efficiency of material flow, and enhancement of production process are some of the most important issues influencing material handling (MH) equipment selection decision. As a wide variety of MH equipment is available today, selection of the proper equipment for a designed manufacturing system is a complicated task. Selection of suitable MH equipment for a typical handling environment is found to be a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. As the selection process is found to be unstructured, characterized by domain dependent knowledge, there is a need to apply an efficient MCDM tool to select the most suitable MH equipment for the given application. This paper applies weighted utility additive (WUTA) method to solve an MH equipment selection problem. The ranking obtained using the WUTA method is compared with that derived by the past researchers which proves its potentiality, applicability, and accuracy to solve complex decision-making problems. Prasad Karande and Shankar Chakraborty Copyright © 2013 Prasad Karande and Shankar Chakraborty. All rights reserved. Sun, 30 Dec 2012 08:24:57 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/593108/ The previous efforts toward single period inventory problem with price-dependent demand only investigate the optimal order quantity to minimize the total inventory costs; however, there is no method in the literature to avoid unwanted costs due to the deviation between the actual demand and the previously estimated demand. To fill this gap, the present paper supposes that stochastic demand rate with normal distribution is sensitive to the selling price; this means that increasing the selling price would decrease the demand rate and vice versa. After monitoring the consumption trend within a section of the period, a new selling price is implemented to change the demand rate and reduce the shortage or salvage costs at the end of the period. Three functions were suggested to represent the demand rate as a function of selling price, and the numerical analysis was implemented to solve the proposed problem. Finally, an illustrative numerical example was solved for different configurations in order to show the advantages of the proposed model. The results revealed that there is a significant improvement in the system costs when price revision is considered. Kamran Forghani, Abolfazl Mirzazadeh, and Mehdi Rafiee Copyright © 2013 Kamran Forghani et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:53:46 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/813037/ We consider stabilizing first-order systems with time delay. The set of all stabilizing proportional-integral PI controllers are determined using an extension of the Hermite-Biehler theorem. The time delay is approximated by a second-order Padé approximation. For uncertain plants, with interval type uncertainty, robust stabilizing PI controllers are determined. Sami Elmadssia, Karim Saadaoui, and Mohamed Benrejeb Copyright © 2013 Sami Elmadssia et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:41:37 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jie/2013/827274/ The number of stock keeping units (SKUs) possessed by organizations can easily reach quite a few. An inventory management policy for each individual SKU is not economical to design. ABC analysis is one of the conventionally used approaches to classify SKUs. In the classical method, the SKUs are ranked with respect to the descending order of the annual dollar usage, which is the product of unit price and annual demand. The few of the SKUs that have the highest annual dollar usage are in group A and should be taken into account mostly; the SKUs with the least annual dollar usage are in group C and should be taken into account least; the remaining SKUs are in group B. In this study, we proposed fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering to a multicriteria ABC analysis problem to help managers to make better decision under fuzzy circumstancse. The obtained results show that the FCM is a quite simple and an easily adaptable method to inventory management. Gulsen Aydin Keskin and Coskun Ozkan Copyright © 2013 Gulsen Aydin Keskin and Coskun Ozkan. All rights reserved.