Refine
Document Type
- Journal article (1244)
- Conference proceeding (1039)
- Book chapter (381)
- Book (223)
- Doctoral Thesis (54)
- Working Paper (38)
- Anthology (32)
- Report (25)
- Patent / Standard / Guidelines (24)
- Issue of a journal (19)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (3088)
Institute
- ESB Business School (1107)
- Informatik (875)
- Technik (509)
- Life Sciences (343)
- Texoversum (220)
- Zentrale Einrichtungen (16)
Publisher
- Springer (473)
- IEEE (252)
- Elsevier (243)
- Hochschule Reutlingen (191)
- MDPI (99)
- Wiley (72)
- Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V (69)
- Universität Tübingen (65)
- De Gruyter (60)
- VDE Verlag (48)
Powered by e-commerce and vital in the manufacturing industry, intralogistics became an increasingly important and labour-intensive process. In highly standardized automation-friendly environments, such as the automotive sector, most of efficiently automatable intralogistics tasks have already been automated. Due to aging population in EU and ergonomic regulations, the urge to automate intralogistics tasks became consistent also where product and process standardization is lower. That is the case of the production line or cell material supply process, where an increasing number of product variants and individually customized products combined with the necessary ability of reacting to changes in market conditions led to smaller and more frequent replenishment to the points of use in the production plant and to the chaotic addition of production cells in shop floor layout. This led in turn to inevitable traffic growth with unforeseeable related delays and increased level of safety threats and accidents. In this paper, we use the structured approach of the Quality Interaction Function Deployment to analyse the process of supply of assembly lines, seeking the most efficient combination of automation and manual labour, satisfying all stakeholders´ requirements. Results are presented and discussed.
In standardized sectors such as the automotive, the cost-benefit ratio of automation solutions is high as they contribute to increase capacity, decrease costs and improve product quality. In less standardized application fields, the contribution of automation to improvements in capacity, cost and quality blurs. The automation of complex and unstructured tasks requires sophisticated, expensive and low-performing systems, whose impact on product quality is oftentimes not directly perceived by customers. As a result, the full automation of process chains in the general manufacturing or the logistic sectors is often a sub optimal solution. Taking the distance from the false idea that a process should be either fully automated, or fully manual, this paper presents a novel heuristic method for design of lean human-robot interaction, the Quality Interaction Function Deployment, with the objective of the “right level of automation”. Functions are divided among human and automated agents and several automation scenarios are created and evaluated with respect to their compliance to the requirements of all process´ stakeholders. As a result, synergies among operators (manual tasks) and machines (automated tasks) are improved, thus reducing time-losses and increasing productivity.
It is expected that ongoing digitalisation will drive the merger between the manufacturing world and the internet world, possibly leading to a next industrial revolution, currently called “Industry 4.0”. The driving forces behind this development are new business opportunities and competition advantages arising from mass production customisation as well as rapid individual product development and manufacturing. Key factors of the development towards Industry 4.0 are discussed. Threats and opportunities arising from these developments for future production are discussed. Actual examples from real-time customized manufacturing of consumer products are given. As mechatronic systems and industrial robots are widely used in manufacturing and in particular in assembly, it is discussed how they can be connected to and used in digitalised industrial systems. Different examples of remote controlled systems are presented, like remote controlled KUKA robot for handling and quality control, PLC-controlled equipment, drive systems, FESTO handling system and others. The architecture of an assembly cell is presented, where industrial robots are set-up for batch-one production or can directly receive control / production information on-line and in real-time over the factory network. Methods for remote maintenance and monitoring of systems over the internet and production operator support over the internet are presented as well.
Natural extracellular matrix (ECM) represents an ideal biomaterial for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches. For further functionalization, there is a need for specific addressable functional groups within this biomaterial. Metabolic glycoengineering (MGE) provides a technique to incorporate modified monosaccharide derivatives into the ECM during their assembly, which was shown by us earlier for the production of a modified fibroblast-derived dermal ECM.
Social Selling – ein innovativer Vertriebsansatz, der die Prinzipien des digitalen Marketings auf den Vertrieb anwendet – findet in der Unternehmenspraxis zunehmend Beachtung. Die Forschung, insbesondere zur Ausgestaltung von Social Selling, steht allerdings noch am Anfang. Mit Hilfe der Daten der Social-Media-Kanäle Facebook und LinkedIn von zwei Industriegüterunternehmen wird in einer explorativen Studie herausgefunden, dass eine direkte Vernetzungsanfrage zur Erweiterung des Netzwerks effizient ist und dass Social-Selling-Beiträge, die zu Beginn und Ende einer Woche vor allem vormittags als visuelles Format (Fotos, Videos) veröffentlicht werden, am erfolgversprechendsten hinsichtlich Klicks, Likes, Shares und Comments sind.
Potentials of smart contracts-based disintermediation in additive manufacturing supply chains
(2019)
We investigate which potentials are created by using smart contracts for disintermediation in supply chains for additive manufacturing. Using a qualitative, critical realist research approach, we analyzed three case studies with companies active in additive manufactures. Based on interviews with experts from these companies, we could identify eight key requirements for disintermediation and associate four potentials of smart contracts-based disintermediation.
Digitale Transformation: Können Sie den Begriff noch hören, ohne mit den Augen zu rollen? Auch wenn der Begriff in aller Munde ist, besteht immer noch große Verwirrung darüber, was eigentlich so neu daran sein soll. Immerhin setzen Unternehmen ja (digitale) Informationstechnologien (IT) seit Jahrzehnten ein, um Geschäftsprozesse zu verbessern.
Background/Aim: The aim of this study was the development of a new osteoconductivity index to determine the bone healing capacities of bone substitute materials (BSM) on the basis of 3D microcomputed tomographic (μ-CT) data. Materials and Methods: Sinus biopsies were used for the comparative analysis of the integration behavior of two xenogeneic BSM (cerabone® and Bio Oss®). 3D μ-CT and data sets from histomorphometrical measurements based on 2D histological slices were used to measure the bone-material-contact and the tissue distribution within the biopsies. The tissue reactions to both BSM were microscopically analyzed. Results: The 3D and 2D results of the osteoconductivity measurements showed comparable material-bone contacts for both BSM, but the 2D data were significantly lower. The same results were found when tissue distribution was measured in both groups. The histopathological analysis showed comparative tissue reactions in both BSM. Conclusion: Osteoconductivity index is a reliable measurement parameter for determining the healing capacities of BSM. The observed differences between both measurement methods could be assigned to the resolution capacity of μ-CT data that did not allow for a precise interface distinction between both BSM and bone tissue. Histomorphometrical data based on histological slides still allow for a more exact evaluation.
Vitamin E (VitE) additives are important in treating osteoarthritis inclusive cartilage regeneration due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present research study focuses on the ability of biological antioxidant VitE (alpha-tocopherol isoform) to reduce or minimize oxidative degradation of soft implantable polyurethane (PU) elastomers after extended periods of time (5 months) in vitro. The effect of the oxidation storage media on the morphology of the segmented PUs was evaluated by mechanical softening, crystallization and melting behavior of both soft and hard segments (SS, HS) using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Bulk mechanical properties of the potential implant materials during ageing were predicted from comprehensive mechanical testing of the biomaterials under tension and compression cyclic loads. 5-months in vitro data suggest that the prepared siloxane-poly(carbonate urethane) formulations have sufficient resistance against degradation to be suitable materials for chondral long term bio-stable implants. Most importantly, the positive effect of incorporating VitE (0.5 or 1.0% w/w) as bio-antioxidant and lubricant on the bio-stability was observed for all PU types. VitE-additives protected the surface layer from erosion and cracking during chemical oxidation in vitro as well as from thermal oxidation during extrusion re-processing.
The aim of this study was to predefine the pore structure of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds with different macro pore sizes (500, 750, and 1000 µm), to characterize β-TCP scaffolds, and to investigate the growth behavior of cells within these scaffolds. The lead structures for directional bone growth (sacrificial structures) were produced from polylactide (PLA) using the fused deposition modeling techniques. The molds were then filled with β-TCP slurry and sintered at 1250° C, whereby the lead structures (voids) were burnt out. The scaffolds were mechanically characterized (native and after incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 28 d). In addition, biocompatibility was investigated by live/dead, cell proliferation and lactate dehydrogenase assays.
The present publication reports the purification effort of two natural bone blocks, that is, an allogeneic bone block (maxgraft®, botiss biomaterials GmbH, Zossen, Germany) and a xenogeneic block (SMARTBONE®, IBI S.A., Mezzovico Vira, Switzerland) in addition to previously published results based on histology. Furthermore, specialized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and in vitro analyses (XTT, BrdU, LDH) for testing of the cytocompatibility based on ISO 10993-5/-12 have been conducted. The microscopic analyses showed that both bone blocks possess a trabecular structure with a lamellar subarrangement. In the case of the xenogeneic bone block, only minor remnants of collagenous structures were found, while in contrast high amounts of collagen were found associated with the allogeneic bone matrix. Furthermore, only island-like remnants of the polymer coating in case of the xenogeneic bone substitute seemed to be detectable. Finally, no remaining cells or cellular remnants were found in both bone blocks. The in vitro analyses showed that both bone blocks are biocompatible. Altogether, the purification level of both bone blocks seems to be favorable for bone tissue regeneration without the risk for inflammatory responses or graft rejection. Moreover, the analysis of the maxgraft® bone block showed that the underlying purification process allows for preserving not only the calcified bone matrix but also high amounts of the intertrabecular collagen matrix.
Artefaktkorrektur und verfeinerte Metriken für ein EEG-basiertes System zur Müdigkeitserkennung
(2019)
Fragestellung: Müdigkeit ist ein oft unterschätztes, aber dennoch großes Problem im Straßenverkehr. Von rund 2,5 Mio. Verkehrsunfällen 2015 in Deutschland, waren 2898 Unfälle, mit insgesamt 59 Toten (~1,7 % der Todesfälle), auf Übermüdung zurückzuführen. Schätzungen gehen von einer Dunkelziffer von bis zu 20 % aus. In einer ersten eigenen Studie wurde überprüft, ob ein mobiles EEG in einem Fahrsimulator Müdigkeitszustände zuverlässig erkennen kann. Die Erkennungsrate lag lediglich bei 61 %. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, das verwendete Messsystem zu verbessern. Dazu wird die Genauigkeit durch eine Artefaktkorrektur und mit Hilfe von verfeinerten Qualitätsmetriken erhöht. Eine erkannte Übermüdung wird dem Fahrer dann in angemessener Weise angezeigt, so dass er entsprechend reagieren kann.
Patienten und Methoden: Die Independent Component Analysis (ICA) ist ein multivariates Verfahren, um mehrere Zufallsvariablen zu analysieren. Für die Entscheidung, ob ein Fahrer gerade müde oder wach ist, wird der erstellte Merkmalsvektor für jede Sequenz mit ICA klassifiziert. Dafür wird ein trainierter Machine-Learning-Algorithmus eingesetzt, der in der Lage ist, auch unbekannte Datensätze in Klassen einzuteilen. Um die benötigten Frequenzwerte zu erhalten, wurde für jeden EEG-Kanal eine Fourier Transformation durchgeführt. Der erstellte Merkmalsvektor wird im nächsten Schritt durch ein Künstliches Neuronales Netz klassifiziert. Für das Training werden vorab erstellte Merkmalsvektoren mit den Klassen „Wach“ und „Müde“ versehen. Diese Daten werden zufällig gemischt und im Verhältnis 2:1 in eine Trainings- und Testmenge geteilt. Das Experiment wurde mit acht Personen mit jeweils zweimal 45 min Testfahrt durchgeführt.
Ergebnisse: Der komplette Datensatz besteht aus 150.000 Signalwerten, welche zu ca. 7000 Sequenzen zusammengefasst werden. Durch die Anwendung der Qualitätsmetrik bleiben 4370 Sequenzen für das Training übrig. Bei invaliden Sequenzen aufgrund von EEG-Artefakten gibt es deutliche Unterschiede. Im „Wach“ Zustand werden dreimal so viele Sequenzen verworfen als im „Müde“ Zustand. Insgesamt werden bei wachen Probanden im Schnitt ca. 50 % der Sequenzen verworfen, bei Müden lediglich 25 %. Im Durchschnitt erreicht das System eine Erkennungsrate von 73 % für beide Zustände. Vergleicht man nun das Verhältnis von „Wach“ und „Müde“ und lässt „Leichte Müdigkeit“ außen vor, liegen die Ergebnisse bei über 90 %.
Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Aufmerksamkeit während des Experiments abnimmt bzw. die Müdigkeit zunimmt. Dies verdeutlichen zum einen subjektive und objektive Beobachtungen von Müdigkeitsanzeichen. Zum anderen lassen sich messbare und klassifizierbare Unterschiede im EEG Signal nachweisen. Die als Merkmale eingesetzten Theta-Wellen zeigten eine niedrigere Amplitude gegen Ende des Experiments. Die Erweiterung der binären Klassifizierung führt zu einer weiteren Stabilisierung der Ergebnisse. Artefaktkorrektur und Qualitätsmetriken steigern die Güte der Daten weiter. Die entwickelte Anwendung zur Müdigkeitserkennung ermittelt messbare Zeichen von Müdigkeit und kann eine gute Entscheidung über die Fahrtauglichkeit treffen.
The SDGs give an overview of the world's development challenges of the present and the coming decades and set a new global agenda for more inclusive and sustainable development and growth. These challenges also represent opportunities for social innovations and the creation of scalable and financially self-sustaining solutions by businesses and (social) entrepreneurs. Examples of solutions to social and ecological challenges are for instance providing low-income communities with access to affordable, quality products and services in areas such as water and sanitation, energy, health, education and finance. New business models can meet customer demands by providing solutions and thereby create opportunities for low-income people as employees, suppliers and distributors.
Der Girlboss Mythos : die gesellschaftlichen und ökonomischen Perspektiven der Gender-Debatte
(2019)
Faktisch sind Frauen heute gleichberechtigt. Sie haben die gleichen Chancen, Rechte und Möglichkeiten wie Männer. Dennoch weisen maßgebliche Studien darauf hin, dass die Anzahl von Frauen auf allen Führungsebenen stagniert oder nur im Schneckentempo wächst. In der medialen Diskussion rund um das Thema Frauen im Management ist die Welt auf den ersten Blick in zwei Lager geteilt. Ein Lager stellt ernüchtert fest, dass Frauen selbst Schuld sind an ihrer Situation. Oft werden hier gerade erfolgreiche Frauen zitiert, die ihren Geschlechtsgenossinnen den nötigen Erfolgswillen oder die Opferbereitschaft absprechen. Das andere Lager scheint die Sachlage genau entgegengesetzt zu beurteilen. Überall gut ausgebildete, hochmotivierte Frauen, die an Glasdecken stoßen oder denen von der Gesellschaft im Allgemeinen und Männern im Besonderen die Türen versperrt werden. Dieses Buch trägt zu einer wissenschaftlich nüchternen Diskussion bei, um die aktuelle gesellschaftspolitische Situation differenzierter und abseits von abgegriffenen Dogmen zu betrachten.
The use of gamification in workplace learning to encourage employee motivation and engagement
(2019)
When we think about playing a game, be it a card game, board game, sport, or video game, we generally associate the act of playing with a positive experience like having fun, enjoying the interaction with others, or feeling a greater motivation to reach a certain goal. By contrast, workplace learning is often perceived as being dull. Employees are likely at some point in their career to find themselves stuck in a rigidly defined seminar for a long period of time or in front of their computer navigating through a mandatory e-learning course on a dry topic such as standards of business conduct of safety policies.
In recent years, organizations have tried to leverage the motivating quality of games for more serious learning contexts. Gamification entails transferring those elements and principles from games to nongaming context that improve user experience and engagement. In this chapter, we will specifically focus on the context of workplace learning.