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Editorial

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4 pages, 175 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management

by Conghu Liu, Nan Wang, Xiaoqian Song, Zhi Liu and Fangfang Wei

Processes 2023, 11(8), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11082280 - 28 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1743

Abstract

The integration of information technologies with the industry has marked the beginning of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and has promoted the development of industrial engineering [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

23 pages, 1431 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Low-Carbon Strategies of Supply Chains, Considering Livestreaming Marketing Modes and Power Structures

by Yonghua Gong and Guangqiang He

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1505; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051505 - 15 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1281

Abstract

A livestreaming supply chain composed of a single manufacturer and a single streamer in the low-carbon market is examined. Motivated by the actual production and operation, both the manufacturer and the streamer have a chance to dominate the supply chain. Low-carbon strategies and [...] Read more.

A livestreaming supply chain composed of a single manufacturer and a single streamer in the low-carbon market is examined. Motivated by the actual production and operation, both the manufacturer and the streamer have a chance to dominate the supply chain. Low-carbon strategies and livestreaming marketing modes of the supply chain are studied. The impacts of the consumer’s price sensitivity coefficient, low-carbon preference, and streamer’s promotion sensitivity coefficient on the equilibrium results are further studied. The results show that: the streamer achieves the optimal level of promotion effort in the resale mode under both power structures. The manufacturer achieves the optimal low-carbon level in the commission mode when the promotion sensitivity coefficient is smaller under both of two power structures. The streamer’s profit is optimal in the resale mode, while the manufacturer’s profit is optimal in the commission mode when under the streamer-led structure. Two parties’ profits are optimal in the commission mode when the promotion sensitivity coefficient is smaller under the manufacturer-led structure. The low-carbon level, streamer promotion effort and selling price in two livestreaming marketing modes will increase when the streamer promotion sensitivity coefficient and consumer low-carbon preference increase and will decrease when consumer price sensitivity increases under two power structures. Lastly, the selling price in resale mode is always higher than that in commission mode under two power structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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20 pages, 4164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Federated Learning and Blockchain-Enabled Intelligent Manufacturing for Sustainable Energy Production in Industry 4.0

by Fanglei Sun and Zhifeng Diao

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1482; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051482 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1956

Abstract

Intelligent manufacturing under Industry 4.0 assimilates sophisticated technologies and artificial intelligence for sustainable production and outcomes. Blockchain paradigms are coined with Industry 4.0 for concurrent and well-monitored flawless production. This article introduces Sustainable Production concerned with External Demands (SP-ED). This method is more [...] Read more.

Intelligent manufacturing under Industry 4.0 assimilates sophisticated technologies and artificial intelligence for sustainable production and outcomes. Blockchain paradigms are coined with Industry 4.0 for concurrent and well-monitored flawless production. This article introduces Sustainable Production concerned with External Demands (SP-ED). This method is more specific about energy production and the distribution for flawless and outage-less supply. First, the energy demand is identified for internal and external users based on which sustainability is planned. Secondly, Ethereum blockchain monitoring for a similar production and demand satisfaction is coupled with the production system. From two perspectives, the monitoring and condition satisfaction processes are validated using federated learning (FL). The perspectives include demand distribution and production sustainability. In the demand distribution, the condition of meeting the actual requirement is validated. Contrarily, the flaws in internal and external supply due to production are identified in sustainability. The failing conditions in both perspectives are handled using blockchain records. The blockchain records reduce flaws in the new production by modifying the production plan according to the federated learning verifications. Therefore, the sustainability for internal and external demands is met through FL and blockchain integration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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21 pages, 2125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recycling Strategies in a Collector-Led Remanufacturing Supply Chain under Blockchain and Uncertain Demand

by Tianjian Yang, Chunmei Li and Zijing Bian

Processes 2023, 11(5), 1426; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11051426 - 8 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1523

Abstract

Remanufacturing has been regarded as a key to the sustainable development of enterprises. However, collection strategies affect the remanufacturing and recycling of used products. Blockchain can ensure the authenticity of disclosed information and improve the consumer’s trust in remanufactured products. Inspired by this, [...] Read more.

Remanufacturing has been regarded as a key to the sustainable development of enterprises. However, collection strategies affect the remanufacturing and recycling of used products. Blockchain can ensure the authenticity of disclosed information and improve the consumer’s trust in remanufactured products. Inspired by this, this paper develops a game-theoretic model to examine the selection of different recycling strategies in the remanufacturing supply chain considering blockchain adoption and uncertain demand. Incumbent collector 1 provides the manufacturer with used product 1 for remanufacturing product 1. For product 2, the manufacturer has two different collection strategies: in-house collection by the manufacturer or external collection by collector 2. The collectors act as the channel leader, and the manufacturer, who has private demand information, is the follower. Results show that collectors are incentivized to participate in the blockchain. If there is no blockchain, collector 1 prefers external collection. In the case of blockchain, the manufacturer prefers external collection when the demand variance is low. The manufacturer’s decision on the in-house collection and external collection depends on the coefficient of collection investment costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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16 pages, 2169 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Data-Driven Evaluation of the Synergistic Development of Economic-Social-Environmental Benefits for the Logistics Industry

by Wei Mu, Jun Xie, Heping Ding and Wen Gao

Processes 2023, 11(3), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030913 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1739

Abstract

The receding globalization has reshaped the logistics industry, while the additional pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed new difficulties and challenges as has the pressure towards sustainable development. Achieving the synergistic development of economic, social, and environmental benefits in the logistics industry [...] Read more.

The receding globalization has reshaped the logistics industry, while the additional pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed new difficulties and challenges as has the pressure towards sustainable development. Achieving the synergistic development of economic, social, and environmental benefits in the logistics industry is essential to achieving its high-quality development. Therefore, we propose a data-driven calculation, evaluation, and enhancement method for the synergistic development of the composite system of economic, social, and environmental benefits (ESE-B) of the logistics industry. Based on relevant data, the logistics industry ESE-B composite system sequential parametric index system is then constructed. The Z-score is applied to standardize the original index data without dimension, and a collaborative degree model of logistics industry ESE-B composite system is constructed to estimate the coordinated development among the subsystems of the logistics industry’s ESE-B system. The method is then applied to the development of the logistics industry in Anhui Province, China from 2011 to 2020. The results provide policy recommendations for the coordinated development of the logistics industry. This study provides theoretical and methodological support for the sustainable development aspects of the logistics industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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16 pages, 1829 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Hybrid Model of CNN-SA-NGU for Silver Closing Price Prediction

by Haiyao Wang, Bolin Dai, Xiaolei Li, Naiwen Yu and Jingyang Wang

Processes 2023, 11(3), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030862 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1721

Abstract

Silver is an important industrial raw material, and the price of silver has always been a concern of the financial industry. Silver price data belong to time series data and have high volatility, irregularity, nonlinearity, and long-term correlation. Predicting the silver price for [...] Read more.

Silver is an important industrial raw material, and the price of silver has always been a concern of the financial industry. Silver price data belong to time series data and have high volatility, irregularity, nonlinearity, and long-term correlation. Predicting the silver price for economic development is of great practical significance. However, the traditional time series prediction models have shortcomings, such as poor nonlinear fitting ability and low prediction accuracy. Therefore, this paper presents a novel hybrid model of CNN-SA-NGU for silver closing price prediction, which includes conventional neural networks (CNNs), the self-attention mechanism (SA), and the new gated unit (NGU). A CNN extracts the feature of input data. The SA mechanism captures the correlation between different eigenvalues, thus forming new eigenvectors to make weight distribution more reasonable. The NGU is a new deep-learning gated unit proposed in this paper, which is formed by a forgetting gate and an input gate. The NGU’s input data include the cell state of the previous time, the hidden state of the previous time, and the input data of the current time. The NGU learns the previous time’s experience to process the current time’s input data and adds a Tri module behind the input gate to alleviate the gradient disappearance and gradient explosion problems. The NGU optimizes the structure of traditional gates and reduces the computation. To prove the prediction accuracy of the CNN-SA-NGU, this model is compared with the thirteen other time series forecasting models for silver price prediction. Through comparative experiments, the mean absolute error (MAE) value of the CNN-SA-NGU model is 87.898771, the explained variance score (EVS) value is 0.970745, the r-squared (R²) value is 0.970169, and the training time is 332.777 s. The performance of CNN-SA-NGU is better than other models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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25 pages, 6530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automotive Supply Chain Disruption Risk Management: A Visualization Analysis Based on Bibliometric

by Kai Huang, Jian Wang and Jinxin Zhang

Processes 2023, 11(3), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030710 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 15122

Abstract

The automobile industry is the pillar industry of the national economy. The good operation of the automobile supply chain is conducive to the sustainable development of the economy and social economy. In recent years, the popular research of automotive supply chain disruption risk [...] Read more.

The automobile industry is the pillar industry of the national economy. The good operation of the automobile supply chain is conducive to the sustainable development of the economy and social economy. In recent years, the popular research of automotive supply chain disruption risk management has been widely of concern by both business and academic practitioners. It is observed that most of the literature has focused only on a particular journal or field; there is a distinct lack of comprehensive bibliometric review of two decades, of research on automotive supply chain disruption risk management. This paper delivers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that provides a better understanding not previously fully evaluated by earlier studies in the field of automotive supply chain disruption risk management. We used the 866 journal article during the period between 2000 and 2022 from the WOS database as sample data. Highlights research topics and trends, key features, developments, and potential research areas for future research. The research problems we solved are as follows: (1) Over time, how does the research in the field of automotive supply chain disruption risk management progress? (2) Which research areas and trends are getting the most attention in the field of automotive supply chain disruption risk management? (i) to recognize the scholarly production; (ii) the most productive authors; (iii) the most productive organization; (iv) the most cited articles; and (v) the most productive countries. (3) What is the research direction of automotive supply chain disruption risk management in the future? Also discusses the shortcomings of literature and bibliometric analysis. These findings provide a potential road map for researchers who intend to engage in research in this field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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18 pages, 559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bilateral Matching Decision Making of Partners of Manufacturing Enterprises Based on BMIHFIBPT Integration Methods: Evaluation Criteria of Organizational Quality-Specific Immunity

by Qiang Liu, Hongyu Sun and Yao He

Processes 2023, 11(3), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030709 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1564

Abstract

This study aims to examine how the bilateral matching decision making of manufacturing enterprises that are seeking partners in the manufacturing supply chain can be improved by taking into consideration evaluation criteria for organizational quality-specific immunity. This study constructs an evaluation indicator system [...] Read more.

This study aims to examine how the bilateral matching decision making of manufacturing enterprises that are seeking partners in the manufacturing supply chain can be improved by taking into consideration evaluation criteria for organizational quality-specific immunity. This study constructs an evaluation indicator system to measure organizational quality-specific immunity based on immune theory. The system’s evaluation criteria are based on the key components of organizational quality-specific immunity. We also construct bilateral matching evaluation and decision-making models using interval-valued hesitant fuzzy information and bidirectional projection technology (BMIHFIBPT). The interval-valued bilateral fuzzy bidirectional projection technology is applied to solve a combination satisfaction and matching optimization model. Empirical analysis is carried out to assess both the supply and demand sides of representative manufacturing enterprises in the manufacturing supply chain, match the main supply and demand bodies of two subjects, and help manufacturing enterprises select the optimal cooperation partners. The empirical analysis results indicate that the bilateral matching evaluation and decision-making models based on BMIHFIBPT can overcome the lack of information to some extent and help solve interval-valued hesitant fuzzy decision-making problems. In turn, the models can provide a basis for manufacturing enterprises to effectively select the best cooperation partners and conduct bilateral matching decision making in the manufacturing supply chain area that supports organizational quality-specific immunity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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21 pages, 6818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Control-Centric Data Classification Technique for Emission Control in Industrial Manufacturing

by Zihao Chen and Jian Chen

Processes 2023, 11(2), 615; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020615 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1504

Abstract

Artificial intelligence-based hardware devices are deployed in manufacturing units and industries for emission gas monitoring and control. The data obtained from the intelligent hardware are analyzed at different stages for standard emissions and carbon control. This research article proposes a control-centric data classification [...] Read more.

Artificial intelligence-based hardware devices are deployed in manufacturing units and industries for emission gas monitoring and control. The data obtained from the intelligent hardware are analyzed at different stages for standard emissions and carbon control. This research article proposes a control-centric data classification technique (CDCT) for analyzing as well as controlling pollution-causing emissions from manufacturing units. The gas and emission monitoring AI hardware observe the intensity, emission rate, and composition in different manufacturing intervals. The observed data are used for classifying its adverse impact on the environment, and as a result industry-adhered control regulations are recommended. The classifications are performed using deep neural network analysis over the observed data. The deep learning network classifies the data according to the environmental effect and harmful intensity factor. The learning process is segregated into classifications and analysis, where the analysis is performed using previous emission regulations and manufacturing guidelines. The intensity and hazardous components levels in the emissions are updated after the learning process for recommending severe lookups over the varying manufacturing intervals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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16 pages, 797 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Employment Effect of Structural Change in Strategic Emerging Industries

by Li Liu, Cisheng Wu and Yiyan Zhu

Processes 2023, 11(2), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020599 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2416

Abstract

Stable development of strategic emerging industries promotes its industrial transformation and upgrading, which has affected the development of not only the society and the economy but also other fields, thereby having a great impact on employment. To measure the impact of structural change [...] Read more.

Stable development of strategic emerging industries promotes its industrial transformation and upgrading, which has affected the development of not only the society and the economy but also other fields, thereby having a great impact on employment. To measure the impact of structural change of strategic emerging industries on employment in China, this paper constructs a regression equation, in which the employment of strategic emerging industries is the dependent variable, while the change direction of strategic emerging industry structure, the employment elasticity of strategic emerging industries and the change speed of industrial structure are the independent variables. The research results are as follows: (i) The change direction of strategic emerging industries is positively correlated with employment. (ii) The employment elasticity of strategic emerging industries is on the rise, and is positively correlated with employment. (iii) The speed of change of strategic emerging industries is unstable, and is negatively correlated with employment. As a result, the structural change in strategic emerging industries has played a role in promoting employment. The government should recognize the impact of structural changes in strategic emerging industries on China’s employment. By implementing the existing strategic emerging industry policies and improving the external environment for the development of strategic emerging industries, the strategic emerging industries will play the role of “innovation, growth and leadership” in economic and social development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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17 pages, 2288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Optimal Decision Making of Innovative Products’ Remanufacturing Supply Chain

by Lang Liu, Zhenwei Liu, Yutao Pu and Nan Wang

Processes 2023, 11(1), 295; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010295 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1814

Abstract

In order to realize the recyclability of innovative product resources, we explored the optimal dynamic path of each decision variable in the remanufacturing supply chain and analyzed the impact of each decision variable on supply chain performance. Based on the Bass innovation diffusion [...] Read more.

In order to realize the recyclability of innovative product resources, we explored the optimal dynamic path of each decision variable in the remanufacturing supply chain and analyzed the impact of each decision variable on supply chain performance. Based on the Bass innovation diffusion model, we established a remanufacturing supply chain model in which a single manufacturer leads and a single retailer follows, and the retailer is responsible for recycling. The optimal wholesale price, retail price, and recovery effort path were obtained through optimal control theory. We also discussed the influence of different innovation coefficients and imitation coefficients on the overall long-term profit of each member in the supply chain, and at the same time, found the optimal market share of the product. The research results show that the larger the market innovation coefficient and the imitation coefficient are, the larger the overall long-term profit of the manufacturer and the greater the market share of the product, while the overall long-term profit of the retailer and the entire supply chain will increase first and then decrease; when the innovation coefficient and imitation coefficient are above a certain level, retailers will not enter the market. In a market with a small innovation coefficient and a large imitation coefficient, the overall long-term profits of retailers and supply chains will be higher. This study provides a theoretical basis for the decision making of the remanufacturing supply chain of innovative products in a dynamic environment, and also provides guidance for the practice of nodal enterprises in the supply chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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18 pages, 2309 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Joint Economic–Environmental Benefit Optimization by Carbon-Abatement Cost Sharing in a Capital-Constrained Green Supply Chain

by Jinzhao Shi, Wenxin Jiao, Kewen Jing, Qi Yang and Kin Keung Lai

Processes 2023, 11(1), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010226 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1660

Abstract

This paper studies the potential of carbon-abatement cost-sharing contracts in optimizing the joint economic–environmental benefit of a green supply chain. One-way and two-way cost-sharing contracts were investigated, respectively, in scenarios in which a capital-constrained manufacturer has a dominant downstream retailer or a dominant [...] Read more.

This paper studies the potential of carbon-abatement cost-sharing contracts in optimizing the joint economic–environmental benefit of a green supply chain. One-way and two-way cost-sharing contracts were investigated, respectively, in scenarios in which a capital-constrained manufacturer has a dominant downstream retailer or a dominant upstream supplier. The manufacturer obtains financing from a competitively priced bank to fulfill its production, carbon-abatement investment, and even insufficient emission permit purchase given the fact that the cap-and-trade regulation exists. Results show that in both one-way and two-way cost-sharing cases, cost sharing of carbon abatement has no effect on the manufacturer’s output or its counterparty’s wholesale price decisions; however, it improves the carbon abatement level of the supply chain. As a result, such cost-sharing of carbon abatement is proven to hamper the profit of the overall supply chain, but it improves the joint “economic-environmental” benefit of the supply chain if the cost-sharing coefficient is properly chosen. Furthermore, this problem is studied in the case of consumers’ green preferences, and carbon-abatement cost sharing is also verified to have the potential to optimize joint economic–environmental benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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13 pages, 3280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality Control of Water-Efficient Products Based on DMAIC Improved Mode—A Case Study of Smart Water Closets

by Yan Bai, Jialin Liu, Rui Zhang and Xue Bai

Processes 2023, 11(1), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010131 - 1 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2270

Abstract

Water-efficient products, a key component of water-saving technology, are widely installed and utilized in all sectors of society. Due to China’s extensive and varied use of this product, advancements in effectiveness and quality will significantly enhance people’s standard of living. In recent years, [...] Read more.

Water-efficient products, a key component of water-saving technology, are widely installed and utilized in all sectors of society. Due to China’s extensive and varied use of this product, advancements in effectiveness and quality will significantly enhance people’s standard of living. In recent years, manufacturers, corporate purchasers, and individual customers have given more attention to the quality of these items due to the spike in local market and export demands for water-efficient products in China. It has been a pressing problem to find a practical solution for increasing product quality in a reasonable and scientific manner. In order to build a DECIA quality improvement model for water-efficient product quality that is quantifiable and technically practical, this paper investigates how to improve the quality of smart water closets based on six-sigma management. Thus, the development of a water-efficient industry can be green and sustainable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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36 pages, 3760 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Subsidy Policy on Remanufacturing Industry’s Donation Strategy

by Xintong Chen, Zonghuo Li and Junjin Wang

Processes 2023, 11(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010118 - 1 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1591

Abstract

Motivated by the donation subsidy policy, this paper studies a supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a remanufacturer. The manufacturer sells new and remanufactured products and can also donate two products. The remanufacturer can only sell and donate remanufactured products. Using the [...] Read more.

Motivated by the donation subsidy policy, this paper studies a supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a remanufacturer. The manufacturer sells new and remanufactured products and can also donate two products. The remanufacturer can only sell and donate remanufactured products. Using the Stackelberg game model, we investigate the optimal production and donation strategies of two competing firms and discuss how the subsidy policy affects these strategies. Our main results include the following: First, the donation strategies of the two firms are not only affected by the subsidies but could also be influenced by the competitor’s donation decision, especially when the subsidy is high. Second, the subsidized products for sale in the market will decline as the subsidy increases. Therefore, a high subsidy always causes insufficient market supply. Third, the first-mover advantage may not make the manufacturer avoid a dilemma; however, when the remanufacturer becomes the leader in the market, the first-mover advantage will help the remanufacturer prevent any competitor donation threats. Lastly, the scenario where the manufacturer donates nothing and the remanufacturer donates seems to be a Pareto improvement for two firms, but this scenario is not stable, and the last equilibrium is that both firms decide to donate remanufactured products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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22 pages, 3330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis Method and Case Study of the Lightweight Design of Automotive Parts and Its Influence on Carbon Emissions

by Qiang Li, Yu Zhang, Cuixia Zhang, Xiang Wang and Jianqing Chen

Processes 2022, 10(12), 2560; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10122560 - 1 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2031

Abstract

The automobile industry, as a representative in pursuing the goals of “emission peak” and “carbon neutrality”, has made low carbon a new industrial practice. With regard to low carbon, the lightweight design proves to be an effective approach to reducing carbon emissions from [...] Read more.

The automobile industry, as a representative in pursuing the goals of “emission peak” and “carbon neutrality”, has made low carbon a new industrial practice. With regard to low carbon, the lightweight design proves to be an effective approach to reducing carbon emissions from automobiles. Given the state of research, in which the existing lightweight design schemes of automobiles seldom consider the impact of the lightweight quality on carbon emissions during the whole life cycle of the automobiles, this paper proposes a more comprehensive lightweight design method for automobiles in regard to carbon emissions. First, the finite element method was adopted to analyze the stress, strain and safety factors of the automobile parts based on their stress, so as to identify the positions where the lightweight design was applicable. Subsequently, a lightweight scheme was designed accordingly. Next, the finite element method was re-applied to the parts whose weights had been reduced. In this way, the feasibility of the lightweight scheme was verified. In addition, a method of calculating the carbon emissions produced by changes in the mass, manufacturing processes, application and recycling of automobile parts after the application of the lightweight design was also presented. The method can be used for evaluating the low carbon benefits of the lightweight design scheme. To prove the feasibility of the method, the ZS061750-152101 wheel hub designed and manufactured by Anhui Axle Co., Ltd. was taken as an example for the case analysis. The lightweight design changes three structures of the wheel hub, reducing its weight by 1.4 kg in total. For a single wheel hub, the carbon emissions are reduced by 51.22 kg altogether. That is to say, if the lightweight scheme were to be applied to all the wheels produced by Anhui Axle Co., Ltd. (about 500,000 per year), the carbon emissions from the wheel production, application and recycling could be cut by 2.56 × 10⁷ kg, marking a favorable emission reduction effect. The proposed method can not only provide insight into the lightweight design of automobiles and other equipment against the background of low carbon but also provide a channel for calculating the carbon emission changes in the whole process after the application of the lightweight design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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16 pages, 1560 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Sustainable Operations of Last Mile Logistics Based on Machine Learning Processes

by Jerko Oršič, Borut Jereb and Matevž Obrecht

Processes 2022, 10(12), 2524; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10122524 - 28 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3275

Abstract

The last-mile logistics is regarded as one of the least efficient, most expensive, and polluting part of the entire supply chain and has a significant impact and consequences on sustainable delivery operations. The leading business model in e-commerce called Attended Home Delivery is [...] Read more.

The last-mile logistics is regarded as one of the least efficient, most expensive, and polluting part of the entire supply chain and has a significant impact and consequences on sustainable delivery operations. The leading business model in e-commerce called Attended Home Delivery is the most expensive and demanding when a short delivery window is mutually agreed upon with the customer, decreasing possible optimizing flexibility. On the other hand, last-mile logistics is changing as decisions should be made in real time. This paper is focused on the proposed solution of sustainability opportunities in Attended Home Delivery, where we use a new approach to achieve more sustainable deliveries with machine learning forecasts based on real-time data, different dynamic route planning algorithms, tracking logistics events, fleet capacities and other relevant data. The developed model proposes to influence customers to choose a more sustainable delivery time window with important sustainability benefits based on machine learning to predict accurate time windows with real-time data influence. At the same time, better utilization of vehicles, less congestion, and fewer failures at home delivery are achieved. More sustainable routes are selected in the preplanning process due to predicted traffic or other circumstances. Increasing time slots from 2 to 4 h makes it possible to improve travel distance by about 5.5% and decrease cost by 11% if we assume that only 20% of customers agree to larger time slots. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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23 pages, 776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pricing and Return Strategy Selection of Online Retailers Considering Consumer Purchasing Behavior

by Xinggang Shu and Zhenhua Hu

Processes 2022, 10(12), 2490; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10122490 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1781

Abstract

This article mainly considers the coexistence of physical sales channels and online sales channels. Online retailers with online sales channels consider whether to provide return policies and whether to provide consumers with return insurance. The research established four return strategy models that: do [...] Read more.

This article mainly considers the coexistence of physical sales channels and online sales channels. Online retailers with online sales channels consider whether to provide return policies and whether to provide consumers with return insurance. The research established four return strategy models that: do not provide returns; provide returns but do not provide return insurance; provide return insurance, but the cost is borne by online retailers; and provide return insurance, but the cost is borne by consumers. The authors then studied the online retailers’ optimal return and shipping insurance selection strategies. The results show that when the proportion of residual return value after the value reduction of unit returned products was large, online retailers set higher sales prices and provided return policies, while offline retailers needed to reduce sales prices in order to attract more consumers. When the consumer unit product return compensation was relatively large, online retailers chose to provide consumers with free return insurance; otherwise, it was more beneficial for online retailers not to provide return insurance. Further research found that although the cost of online retailers increased when freight insurance was taken, it could better attract consumers, which was more beneficial to online retailers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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23 pages, 3919 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coupling Coordination Analysis of Regional IEE System: A Data-Driven Multimodel Decision Approach

by Yaliu Yang, Fagang Hu, Ling Ding and Xue Wu

Processes 2022, 10(11), 2268; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10112268 - 3 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1831

Abstract

Coordinating regional innovation–economy–ecology (IEE) systems is an important prerequisite for overall continuous regional development. To fully understand the coordination relationship among the three, this study builds a data-driven multimodel decision approach to calculate, assess, diagnose, and improve the regional IEE system. First, the [...] Read more.

Coordinating regional innovation–economy–ecology (IEE) systems is an important prerequisite for overall continuous regional development. To fully understand the coordination relationship among the three, this study builds a data-driven multimodel decision approach to calculate, assess, diagnose, and improve the regional IEE system. First, the assessment indicator system of the regional IEE system is established. Secondly, the range method, entropy weight method, and weighted summation method are employed to calculate the synthetic developmental level. Thirdly, a multimodel decision approach including the coupling degree model, the coordination degree model, and the obstacle degree model is constructed to assess the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the regional IEE system coupling coordination and diagnose the main obstacles hindering its development. Finally, the approach is tested using Anhui Province as a case study. The results show that the coupling coordination degree of the Anhui IEE system presents a stable growth trend, but the coupling degree is always higher than the coordination degree. The main obstacle affecting its development has changed from the original innovation subsystem to the current ecology subsystem. Based on this, some countermeasures are put forward. This study, therefore, offers decision support methods to aid in evaluating and improving the regional IEE system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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17 pages, 2414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coupled and Coordinated Development of the Data-Driven Logistics Industry and Digital Economy: A Case Study of Anhui Province

by Yuxia Guo and Heping Ding

Processes 2022, 10(10), 2036; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10102036 - 9 Oct 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2760

Abstract

The digital transformation of the logistics industry is the current trend of development. In order to promote the integrated development of the logistics industry (LI) and the digital economy (DE), we propose a data-driven method which can be used to measure, evaluate, and [...] Read more.

The digital transformation of the logistics industry is the current trend of development. In order to promote the integrated development of the logistics industry (LI) and the digital economy (DE), we propose a data-driven method which can be used to measure, evaluate, and identify the coupled and coordinated development (CCD) of the LI and DE. On the basis of data collection, we use the entropy weight method to measure the comprehensive development level of the LI and DE. A coordination model is then used to evaluate their CCD level. Finally, an obstacle degree model (ODM) is used to identify the key factors inhibiting the coordinated development (CD) of the two. This method is then applied to gauge the integration development of the LI and DE in Anhui Province. The results show that energy consumption and the lack of logistics employees are the main obstacles to the development of the LI in Anhui Province. The main obstacles to the development of the DE are the low development level of the electronic communications equipment manufacturing industry and the limited digitization of enterprises. Accordingly, this study puts forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions to provide decision support for the CCD of the LI and DE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Supply Chains in Industrial Engineering and Management)

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