- Salerno, Campania, Italy
Stefano Riemma
University of Salerno, Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty Member
Monitoring production systems is a key element for identifying waste and production efficiency, and for this purpose, the calculation of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is validly recognized in... more
Monitoring production systems is a key element for identifying waste and production efficiency, and for this purpose, the calculation of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is validly recognized in the scientific literature. The collection and analysis of the cause of the interruption of the plants is particularly useful in this sense. The use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in order to automate data collection for the purpose of calculating the OEE and the causes of interruption is effective. Furthermore, the existing literature lacks research studies that aim to improve the data quality of important process data that cannot be collected automatically. This study proposes the use of IoT technologies to request targeted and intelligent information inputs from the operators directly involved in the process, improving the completeness and accuracy of the information through the real-time and smart combination of manual and automated data. T...
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Background: Digital twins have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of the agri-food supply chain by providing visibility, reducing bottlenecks, planning for contingencies, and improving existing... more
Background: Digital twins have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of the agri-food supply chain by providing visibility, reducing bottlenecks, planning for contingencies, and improving existing processes and resources. Additionally, they can add value to businesses by lowering costs and boosting customer satisfaction. This study is aimed at responding to common scientific questions on the application of digital twins in the agri-food supply chain, focusing on the benefits, types, integration levels, key elements, implementation steps, and challenges. Methods: This article conducts a systematic literature review of recent works on agri-food supply chain digital twins, using a list of peer-reviewed studies to analyze concepts using precise and well-defined criteria. Thus, 50 papers were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and descriptive and content-wise analysis was conducted to answer the research questions. Conclusions: The impl...
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The paper proposes an alternative method for the multi-item EOQ calculation in presence of space restrictions. The method, based on the Lagrange multipliers, consists of an iterative procedure which analyses dynamically, through the... more
The paper proposes an alternative method for the multi-item EOQ calculation in presence of space restrictions. The method, based on the Lagrange multipliers, consists of an iterative procedure which analyses dynamically, through the simulation, the effect of consumption rates and delivery times, determining the real stock overlapping in a fixed time period. This makes possible a more effective exploitation of the warehouse space that brings the lot sizes nearer to their optimal values. The proposed method is targeted to surmount the limits of classical approaches: firstly, the procedure calculates the lot sizes with a dynamic approach based on the simulation of the total stock behaviour in a fixed time horizon, with the aim of maximizing the space saturation; subsequently, the so obtained lot-sizes are corrected to reduce further the total management cost. In particular, this correction is based on the analysis of the slope of the cost function of each item. In order to obtain it, t...
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Quality Certification according to ISO9000 standards requires that firms have to be able to track every jobs, assembling steps, and equipment needful to realize each product. Another aspect of a traceability system is the possibility, for... more
Quality Certification according to ISO9000 standards requires that firms have to be able to track every jobs, assembling steps, and equipment needful to realize each product. Another aspect of a traceability system is the possibility, for each type of product, to locate on the market every delivered ones on which analysis and/or corrective actions has to be made, due to an unconformity found on a certain component or on a certain job (customer-oriented traceability). This last feature can give real advantages in terms of customer satisfaction, safety and firm image, therefore its establishment is often related to high costs due to the startup of dedicated procedures for parts identification, information systems, human resources, etc. The best choice, in this case is to submit to this type of traceability procedure a set of components that, from an analysis of the bill of materials, are recognized as critical in terms of certain critical parameters such as safety, cost, product funct...
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The food production industry requires great amounts of resources and energy, causing, during the productions, negative effects on environment. For these reasons, in the last years, different products of consumption were analysed from the... more
The food production industry requires great amounts of resources and energy, causing, during the productions, negative effects on environment. For these reasons, in the last years, different products of consumption were analysed from the environmental point of view, following Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches. This work aimed at studying the environmental performance and the energy consumption of different beers produced in Italy by a small brewery. The study followed a life cycle approach and was focused on the industrial phases of the productions. A comparison among ale (high fermentation) and lager (low fermentation) beers’ productions was made with the aim of address the productions toward a higher sustainability. The system boundaries covered by our research are only the industrial steps of the entire products’ life cycle path: production in the brewery, bottling, packaging and waste disposal treatments (“gate to gate” and “gate to grave” approach). Raw materials, energy c...
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This article deals with a complex simulation, including discrete and continuous events, to optimize production and logistics activities in a food plant. The application scope of this work refers to an industrial decaffeination process of... more
This article deals with a complex simulation, including discrete and continuous events, to optimize production and logistics activities in a food plant. The application scope of this work refers to an industrial decaffeination process of coffee beans, based on a supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, executed by a semi-continuous flow of materials as well as a discrete units production. The proposed model considers the semi-continuous coffee beans flow rate representation and the secondary flow rates necessary to realize the process, as, for example, carbon dioxide and caffeine flow rates. Moreover, the process parameters, the flowing material, breakdowns and repairs, speed and accumulation, and waiting time were taken into account. The model was implemented using Arena® simulation software both for discrete and continuous processes, and Microsoft Excel for the project parameters settings and for the analysis of the outputs. The model was, then, validated, considering some plant p...
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Some food production industries, like jams’ and marmalades’ ones, use as starting materials semi-finished products for seasonal, technical and quality reasons. To extend the shelf life of foodstuffs, to maintain low the level at which... more
Some food production industries, like jams’ and marmalades’ ones, use as starting materials semi-finished products for seasonal, technical and quality reasons. To extend the shelf life of foodstuffs, to maintain low the level at which microbial spoilage and deterioration reactions occur, fresh fruits have to be treated. The industry under study uses two different techniques to produce and preserve semi-finished fruits: one is based on deep- freezing and one on ohmic aseptic treatment.The aim of this work is to use a life cycle approach to compare the global warming potential (GWP) emissions of these two different techniques to guarantee the quality of semi-finished apricots to the customer. The GWP is determined using a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis, normalizing to the functional unit (one apricots’ kg) all the consumptions and emissions. Data were analysed using SimaPro 8.0.4 software, whereas the Ecoinvent database and information collected from the chosen industri...
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PurposeThe aim of this work is to analyse and minimise, using a life cycle approach, the environmental performances of apple powders’ production. Fruit powders, with respect to fresh fruits’ juices, are easier to handle and used as an... more
PurposeThe aim of this work is to analyse and minimise, using a life cycle approach, the environmental performances of apple powders’ production. Fruit powders, with respect to fresh fruits’ juices, are easier to handle and used as an ingredient for the production of baby foods, snacks, and other items. A detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis was made to compare and optimise the two production processes, based on two drying techniques (drum or multistage drying), made by an Italian firm.MethodsAll the quantities related to materials, energy consumption and emissions to air, soil and water were reported to the chosen functional unit (one apple powders’ package). Data were analysed using SimaPro 8.0.4 software, whereas the Ecoinvent 3.1 database was used for the life cycle inventory, according to the reference standard for LCA (i.e. ISO 14040–14044). The system boundaries were set from apples’ transportation to the company up to apple powders’ distribution; in this way, a “from gate to gate” approach was followed. The IMPACT 2002+ method was used to select the impact categories. The ones that are mainly influenced by the industrial stages of apple powders’ production are carcinogens, non-carcinogens, respiratory inorganics, aquatic acidification, global warming potential and mineral extraction.Results and discussionAmong the two processes under study (a drum drying-based process and a multistage drying one), the first one (that is also the simpler and cheaper one) generated the higher emissions on all the impact categories. An in-depth analysis regarding all the industrial stages was made, in order to select the industrial steps whose impacts have to be minimised. For the process based on drum drying, the midpoint considered categories are mainly affected by the drying operation, whereas for the multistage drying-based process, some categories are mainly affected by drying, some others by storage. Different improvement scenarios were proposed to minimise the emissions related to both the apple powders’ productions.ConclusionsGlobal emissions related to the apple powders’ production were lowered using improved industrial scenarios. In order just to compare different scenarios characterised by not summable parameters, a global index (calculated as the sum of normalised values) was used. For the drum drying-based process, the global saving was equal to 31 %, whereas for the multistage drying-based process, it is equal to 27 %. Also in the case of improved scenarios, the drum drying-based process generated higher emissions on all the impact categories with respect to the multistage drying-based process.
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ISBN: 889007321
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The olive pomace is a by-product of olive oil production, obtained after milling operations. The milling process can be done by traditional pressing operations, or through centrifugation (that occurred in two or three phases). Depending... more
The olive pomace is a by-product of olive oil production, obtained after milling operations. The milling process can be done by traditional pressing operations, or through centrifugation (that occurred in two or three phases). Depending on the used process and on the number of phases, the olive pomace has a different moisture content and requires different amounts of energy to be dried. On completion of this stage, the residual oil (up to 4 % by weight) is extracted through a mixture of steam and hexane. The drying and the extraction phase are both obtained using hot air and superheated steam produced in a boiler, which uses exhausted pomace (oil-free pomace) at the end of the process. The aim of this study was the analysis of the CO2 emissions and the evaluation of the Global Warming Potential (GWP) related to the production of 1 kg of pomace oil (widely used by food industry) and 1 kg of exhausted pomace (used as biofuel). The analysis was performed considering the industrial stag...
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Semi-finished products are often used in the case of the high degree of perishability, like, for example, in the case of some fruits. The treatment of those fresh fruits allows the extension of foodstuffs’ shelf life, maintaining low the... more
Semi-finished products are often used in the case of the high degree of perishability, like, for example, in the case of some fruits. The treatment of those fresh fruits allows the extension of foodstuffs’ shelf life, maintaining low the level at which microbial spoilage and deterioration reactions can occur. These semi-finished products are frequently used as starting materials by jams' and marmalades’ industries. The Southern Italy industry under study uses two different techniques to produce and preserve semi-finished peaches: one is based on low-pressure superheated steam drying with far-infrared radiation, and one on an ohmic aseptic treatment. The aim of this work is to use a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to compare the environmental emissions of those two different production and preservation techniques on two large scale plants. The environmental impacts were evaluated using a detailed LCA analysis, normalizing all the consumptions and emissions to the functional ...
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Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly prescribed for different diseases. A common problem for this wide class of drugs is their low bioavailability, strictly linked to their poor water solubility and, therefore, to their low... more
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly prescribed for different diseases. A common problem for this wide class of drugs is their low bioavailability, strictly linked to their poor water solubility and, therefore, to their low dissolution rate. In the last years, many studies on novel Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) were performed to improve those drugs dissolution rate. An innovative approach consists in the adsorption of the active principle on a porous substrate. Polysaccharide aerogels are biodegradable and biocompatible; moreover, they are characterized by open pore structures and high surface areas. For these characteristics, they are particularly suitable to be loaded with an active ingredient. In this work, the environmental impacts of starch aerogel loaded with nimesulide, a widely employed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, using supercritical carbon dioxide impregnation were calculated, following a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. All the emissions to air, w...
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Purpose: The correct interaction between the workforce and augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies represents a crucial aspect of the success of the smart factory. This interaction is, indeed, affected by the variability of... more
Purpose: The correct interaction between the workforce and augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies represents a crucial aspect of the success of the smart factory. This interaction is, indeed, affected by the variability of human behavior and its reliability, which can strongly influence the quality, safety, and productivity standards. For this reason, this paper aims to provide a clear and complete analysis of the impacts of these technologies on the performance of operators.Design/methodology/approach: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to identify peer-reviewed papers that focused on the implementation of augmented and virtual technologies in manufacturing systems and their effects on human performance.Findings: In total, 61 papers were selected and thoroughly analyzed. The findings of this study reveal that Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality can be applied for several applications in manufacturing systems with different types of devices, that involve...
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In recent years, there has been a decrease in accidents due to technical failures through technological developments of redundancy and protection, which have made systems more reliable. However, it is not possible to talk about system... more
In recent years, there has been a decrease in accidents due to technical failures through technological developments of redundancy and protection, which have made systems more reliable. However, it is not possible to talk about system reliability without addressing the failure rate of all its components; among these components, "man " – because his rate of error
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In the last years, many studies on Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) were performed with the aim of improving the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. Nanostructured aerogels, characterized by open pore structures and high surface... more
In the last years, many studies on Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) were performed with the aim of improving the dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs. Nanostructured aerogels, characterized by open pore structures and high surface areas, were frequently used as substrates where drugs can be adsorbed. In particular, different researches focused their attention on polysaccharide aerogels, which are biodegradable and biocompatible and, therefore, are good candidates to support active substances in DDS. In this work, maize starch aerogels were produced on different scale plants using a three-step process: first, the gel was prepared using an aqueous solution, then water was replaced by ethanol forming an alcogel and finally, carbon dioxide at supercritical conditions was used as non-solvent to dry the alcogel and obtain the aerogel. An analysis aimed at evaluating and minimizing, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the environmental impacts of aerogel production on five ...
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In the last years, the wine production industry has gradually focused its attention in the improvement of the product quality rather than in the production of great quantities. This tendency has allowed the entrance in the market of... more
In the last years, the wine production industry has gradually focused its attention in the improvement of the product quality rather than in the production of great quantities. This tendency has allowed the entrance in the market of various small wine producers that have developed new product trademarks of good qualities on a small scale. Recently, the environmental sustainability is establishing to determine the product quality. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out to compare the environmental impacts and the energy efficiency of four kinds of wines made by a small producer in the southern part of Italy. The system boundary covered the industrial life-cycle stages of wine production. In particular, in this paper, four stages were considered: vinification, bottling, packaging and waste disposal treatments. The aim of the work is to compare the environmental impact of a high and medium quality wine (either in the case of white wines or in the case of red wines...
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The need for new solutions for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity has become apparent with advancements of technology worldwide. This disposition has been revealed by the deregulation of the electricity market,... more
The need for new solutions for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity has become apparent with advancements of technology worldwide. This disposition has been revealed by the deregulation of the electricity market, the technological processes in constant evolution, the focus on environmental problems, and the need to manage and protect energy loads that are more sensitive to disturbances in the grid. Numerous significant research and development efforts, involving a large number of technology areas and requiring a highly interdisciplinary design vision, have led to the emergence of a new concept called “Smart Grids.” In this context, attention is emphasized toward the Demand Response (DR), a particular tactic for the intelligent management of users' electrical loads. This paper aims to present an algorithm that helps the aggregator of energy loads in carrying out its daily decisions, using an economic objective function. A mathematical model for this goal was developed, and a heuristic solution was used to calculate the configuration of load distributions. Conclusively, the model was tested to understand its effectiveness and to determine the capability of an aggregator to have revenues from the application of a DR tactic.
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Abstract The present paper is targeted to address the impact of the learning and forgetting processes on the system performance during the working activities in combination with the human error quantification. The Learning and Forgetting... more
Abstract The present paper is targeted to address the impact of the learning and forgetting processes on the system performance during the working activities in combination with the human error quantification. The Learning and Forgetting Curves Model (LFCM) has been implemented as a new module in the SHERPA simulator, developed for the human error assessment. The LFCM module assumes, according to the literature, that human performance improves with the increase in cumulative production, leading to a progressive reduction of the processing times. On the contrary, the performance deteriorates when learning sessions are separated by rest breaks that cause knowledge depreciation or forgetting. The paper provides a different model to measure the system performance when the learning and forgetting processes are present, considering at the same time the productivity and the error probability. The model has been applied to a case study showing interesting results in terms of learning and forgetting processes effects on the system performance.
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In the last years, the wine production industry had gradually focused its attention in the improvement of the product quality rather than quantity. This tendency generated an increase in the wine's price/litre, and, as a consequence,... more
In the last years, the wine production industry had gradually focused its attention in the improvement of the product quality rather than quantity. This tendency generated an increase in the wine's price/litre, and, as a consequence, the entrance in the market of various small wine producers that developed new product trademarks of good qualities. The product quality obtained through better raw materials and more careful processes (with a semi-handcrafted quality) cannot be separated from an accurate evaluation of the environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, a higher number of small producers may generate greater emissions with respect to a small number of big industrial producers and, therefore, these small emerging productions have to be, even more so, studied. The aim of this paper is to deepen the environmental impacts and the energy efficiency of four kinds of wines made by a small producer in the southern part of Italy using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis. Vinification, bottling, packaging, distribution and waste disposal treatments were taken into account in the performed analysis. Wines were produced using different processes and different raw materials, depending on the specific characteristics (high or medium quality) and kind (red or white). The materials and energy consumption and the emissions to air, soil and water were reported to the chosen functional unit (a bottle of Italian wine). The data were analysed using SimaPro 8.0.2 software and the Ecoinvent database, in accordance with the reference standard for LCA (i.e., ISO 14040–14044) to identify the environmental performance indicators of the IMPACT 2002+ methodology. Once evaluated the global environmental impact on all the categories, we focused our attention and we proposed an improved solution in terms of global warming potential (GWP). In particular, for the red high quality wine (that was the most environment affecting wine), carbon dioxide emissions lowered from 0.99 to 0.05 kgCO2/bottle.
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Il crescente ricorso ad aggregazioni produttive complesse {(“Supply} Network” {SN)} e talvolta temporanee aumenta i problemi connessi alla corretta gestione delle informazioni, riducendo le prestazioni dei singoli partner e... more
Il crescente ricorso ad aggregazioni produttive complesse {(“Supply} Network” {SN)} e talvolta temporanee aumenta i problemi connessi alla corretta gestione delle informazioni, riducendo le prestazioni dei singoli partner e conseguentemente dell’intera struttura. E’ infatti noto come la tecnica {MRP}, programmando in modalità “backward”, imponga a tutte le operazioni una due date “al più tardi”; spesso però i ritardi che si
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The paper proposes an alternative method for the multi-item {EOQ} calculation in presence of space restrictions. The method, based on the Lagrange multipliers, consists of an iterative procedure which analyses dynamically, through the... more
The paper proposes an alternative method for the multi-item {EOQ} calculation in presence of space restrictions. The method, based on the Lagrange multipliers, consists of an iterative procedure which analyses dynamically, through the simulation, the effect of consumption rates and delivery times, and determines the real overlapping of the stocks in a fixed period of time. This makes possible a