Selective laser melting: Evaluation of the effectiveness and reliability of multi-scale multiphysics simulation environments.

This study evaluates the effectiveness and reliability of Multi-scale Multiphysics Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Simulation Environments. A literature review and bibliometric analysis were conducted to identify the most widely used SLM Simulation Environments. The effectiveness of simulation environments was assessed through a SWOT analysis enhanced by an Analytic Network Process (ANP).

Development of a framework for improving the turnaround time of the application process at the South African Civil Aviation Authority.

Drones are considered to become more significant as technology develops and be used in creative ways. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework to improve the turnaround time (TAT) of the drone application process at South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). According to some of the drone companies, application process of drone approval takes time to complete.

Analysis of potential materials for local production of a rail car component using additive manufacturing.

In the rail industry, unavailability of spare parts can have negative implications such as downtime and financial losses. Long lead times can be experienced in the process of replacing a damaged spare part. Some of the parts are expensive to produce in-house using conventional methods because of the tooling costs.

Application of lean Six Sigma methodology using DMAIC approach for the improvement of bogie assembly process in the railcar industry.

The quest for waste reduction, quality improvement and operational efficiency during the assembly process of the railcar bogie necessitates this study. Using a case study approach, this study employs the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach for process improvement of the railcar bogie assembly process. Primary data relating to the assembly process such as the labour and material flow, up and down times were collected at every stage of the assembly operation.

Review of life cycle models for enhancing machine tools sustainability: lessons, trends and future directions.

The life cycle models are critical in the assessment of the performance of a product from the design phase to its end of life (EoL). With the quest for manufacturing sustainability with respect to energy, process, material, and environment friendliness as well as the clamour for circular economy which emphasizes zero tolerance for waste, there is a need for a critical review of the life cycle of machine tool employed for machining operations and product development. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficient way of managing the machine tools throughout its lifecycle.

Hybridized fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy weighted average for identifying optimal design concept.

In this article, a novel hybridized Multi-Attribute Decision Model (MADM) is developed to identify an optimal design of a Reconfigurable Assembly Fixture (RAF) from a set of alternative design concepts. The model combines the comparative advantage of Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and the computational strength of the Fuzzy Weighted Average (FWA) based on left and right scores in order to obtain aggregates for the design alternatives considering the relative importance of the design criteria as needed in the optimal design. The model was applied to evaluate four design concepts of a RAF with six design features having numerous sub-features.