This paper aims to develop a maintenance optimization model to maintain a high level of efficiency and reliability of the machinery. The methodological approach is based on preventive maintenance through the partial or total replacement of critical components. Although an intermediate intervention control, the focus is on a particular machine that has stopped several times, reducing its operational availability and resulting in a high cost of non-production. This study uses a Weibull model to analyze and optimize the correct maintenance process of the machinery considered. The failure data are then analyzed and scheduled. The final purpose is to standardize the operators' intervention procedures to reduce the time for the same interventions.

This study investigates the impact of internationalization barriers on the export performance of Jordanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim of this study is to investigate how the export performance of SMEs in the furniture industry is influenced by external and internal barriers and what significance these have for international performance. Based on a quantitative research design, data was collected from 318 small and medium-sized Jordanian companies through a survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) examined the impact of external barriers, including political, economic, legal and socio-cultural challenges, as well as internal barriers, such as financial, management and market-related barriers, on export performance. However, most barriers - whether internal or external - are domestic and have a greater impact on export performance than barriers from abroad. This study enriches RBV theory in relation to the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises by providing evidence that firm-specific resources and capabilities are key factors for SMEs both when they face export barriers and when they achieve better performance in foreign activities. The findings provide practical implications for managers, policy makers and practitioners interested in the internationalization of Jordanian SMEs. An important limitation is the cross-sectional design, one-country context, and self-report in survey research. Future studies are recommended to use a longitudinal design, mediating and moderating mechanisms. This study is innovative as it involves a combined investigation of firm-external and firm-internal export barriers and their effects on the internationalization success of Jordanian SMEs.

One of the major successes in the field of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) is the groundwork of the stress intensity factor (SIF) computation. The approaches used to carry out SIF values may be analytical, semi-analytical, experimental or numerical. Each one of the above methods has its own benefits however the use of numerical solutions has become the most frequent and popular. Numerous schemes for the numerical computation of SIF have been developed, the J-integral method being the most popular one. In this article we examine the SIFs of an edge cracked two dimensional (2-D) steel plate subjected to tensile loading. Extended finite element (XFEM) computational scheme has been employed to estimate the values of SIF. The SIF values of cracks with different lengths and inclination angles (different configurations) have been examined by utilizing the domain based interaction integral approach. The effect of crack inclination and crack position on SIFs (KI and KII) has also been studied. The results obtained in this study were compared with those from literature and theoretical values and observed that they are in close agreement.

This study investigates the relationships between Supply Chain Collaboration, Risk Management Strategies, Supplier Development, Trust, and Supply Chain Resilience in the Jordanian retail sector. This research aims to analyze the direct impacts of these Supply chain management practices on resilience, as well as mediating effect Trust in between this relation. The study used quantitative data to collect the data from 291 managers and executives in the Jordanian retail sector. The findings suggest that Supply Chain Collaboration and Risk Management Strategies have positive significant effects on Supply Chain Resilience, while Supplier Development has no direct significant effect. The results show that each of the supply chain management practices has significant positive effects on Trust and, therefore, significantly contribute to increasing Supply Chain Resilience. In addition, Trust is identified to play a mediating role in the relationships between trust on both SCMPs and resilience. This paper extends the existing literature on supply chain resilience and provides empirical insights into significant factors that shape in enhancing resilience within the retail trade industry, notably focusing on Jordan. The implications for managers, practitioners and society suggest that collaborative relationships, effective risk management strategies as well trust building initiatives are vital to increase resilience among supply chains. This research is unique as it thoroughly investigates the collaboration between SCM practices, relational variables and resilience in an understudied context providing a new understanding of the interplay of different antecedents at play on resilient supply chains creation.

The incremental launching method (ILM) is an efficient method of bridge construction primarily suited for environmentally sensitive areas. However, during the bridge launching, there are significant contact stresses between the launching system and the steel bridge girders. These substantial contact stresses can cause damage both on, and just under, the girder surface. Although Hertz contact theory solutions may give an insight into the problem, the accuracy is uncertain due to the presence of complex geometries, loads, and material properties. The complicated structural systems need to rely on numerical modeling such as the finite element analysis which are not always available. The primary objective of this study is to estimate the relationship of the maximum contact stress between an I-girder and a roller using a nomogram. The nomogram is built based on a parametric study with various roller dimensions and loads by numerical modeling. The maximum contact stress from the nomogram can be a useful tool in designing a bridge girder on a support roller.

A multi-objective Flexible Job-shop Scheduling technique for hospitals is proposed using DPSO-AIW i.e. discrete particle swarm optimization with adaptive inertia weight method. The approach encodes the layer of the chromosomes using an operation sequence (OS) and machine assignment (MA) which is a two-layer coding structure. Global selection based on the operation (GSO) of MA and random selection of OS are coupled in the initial population. Rapid non-dominated sorting yields fronts of non-domination, which are necessary for getting the Pareto optimum solution. The diversity of the population is increased during the evolution process by adaptive adjustment of the variation of the weight of inertia, expressed by ω. Then, the Pareto optimal solution found during the process is kept in the Pareto optimal solution set (POS). The discrete particle swarm optimization algorithm is utilized to solve the values of the next generation chromosomes in the discrete domain directly. Lastly, comparisons with certain current techniques and numerical simulation based on two sets of international standard examples are performed, which are already established. The findings from the comparison show that the suggested DPSO-AIW is practical, effective, and more feasible for solving the problem related to the Multi-objective Flexible Job-shop Scheduling Problem.

A 100% overlap double pass friction stir process technique was developed for the fabrication of AA1100/17-4 PH stainless steel composites, using an H13 tool steel cylindrical threaded pin with shoulder diameter of 21 mm, pin diameter of 7 mm and pin height of 5 mm. Grooves of 2 mm width and 3.5 mm depth were machined on the 6 mm thick AA1100 plate, where the 17-4 PH stainless steel powder was packed and compacted using a pinless tool. Friction stir processing was conducted at rotational speeds of 2100, 2450 and 2800 rpm, while the travel speed of 20 mm/min, tilt angle of 2.5° and plunge depth of 0.2 mm, were kept constant. Investigations were carried out on the microstructure, elemental composition, and tensile testing and microhardness as well as structural analysis using X-ray diffraction. Defect-free micrographs with good mechanical and metallurgical connections were obtained from all the employed process parameters. However, agglomeration of reinforcements became noticeable at 2450 and 2800 rpm. Uniform distribution of reinforcements were observed at 2100 rpm. Elemental analysis confirmed matrix and reinforcements blending and mixing. Superior SZ hardness of as high as 4 times that of the base metal were achieved, while ultimate tensile strength properties with joint efficiencies as high as 97.29% were attained at 2450 rpm. However, the percentage elongation of the fabricated samples dropped by around 10% due to the reinforcements-induced hardness. Nonetheless, the fabrications retained superior mechanical properties. All the X-ray diffractograms had 5 intense peaks with different phases and crystal planes. However, an Al syn (111) crystal plane was common to all diffractograms at around 39° 2θ range. The obtained crystallite sizes of as small as 4 nm revealed the attainment of ultrafine grains, while the observed high dislocation densities and micro strains gave an indication that the fabricated AA1100/17-4 PH stainless steel composite is of high strength.

The research investigated the relationship among Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), risk assessment capabilities and value creation in service sector firms. The study also sought to examine the effect of KPI`s components on risk assessment & value capitalisation, and how they either facilitate or hinder implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement processes. In this context, a quantitative cross-sectional research design was applied using an online survey of shared middle and senior managers in service organizations. After filtering, the final version of segmented sample included a total of 215 respondents engaged in different service businesses. The analysis was determined using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that all components of KPIs have significant positive relationships with risk assessment and value improvement outcomes First, performance drivers were found to be the most significant predictor of both constructs. As such, the results show that both risk assessment and value improvement had a positive effect on implementation/monitoring processes which in turn enabled continuous improvements. Performance measurement, risk management and value creation in service organizations: A performance at-risk-based conceptual model. The results have numerous managerial, practical and policy implications for the service sector. This drives home the necessity of creating integrated KPI systems that include risk assessment and value improvement factors. In building on existing theory, the study is of substantial interest in that it provides empirical evidence for these organizational mechanisms related to service organizations. Resilient Organizations in the Service Sector picture of Resilience across Performance Management with KPIs, Risk Assessment and Value Creation strategies offering a comprehensive foundation for sustainable organizational success.

This work studies the scheduling of elective procedures, with stochastic durations, in surgery rooms. Given a set of rooms with limited availability and a set of procedures, it must be decided in which room and when each procedure will be performed. The problem’s objectives are to maximize the use of the operating rooms and to minimize the delays in starting the scheduled surgeries. A simulation-optimization approach is proposed. First, procedures’ durations are modeled as random variables and a set of test percentiles (i.e. it is assumed that all surgeries will last as many minutes as the 75th percentile of its probability density function) is selected. Subsequently, using these durations as a parameter, a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) is run. Consequently, as many solutions as selected test percentiles are generated. Finally, a Monte Carlo simulation is used to estimate three indicators: i) rooms utilization, ii) percentage of surgeries that had delays, and iii) average delay time of scheduled surgeries. The technique was tested by solving the elective procedures scheduling problem in a high-complexity hospital in Bogota. This hospital has 19 operating rooms and 35,000 surgeries performed annually. Currently, the scheduling process is manual. The simulation-optimization proposed approach allowed to determine the relation between utilization rate and delays in the service. As the occupation percentage increases, delay times also augment, implying a reduction of the service level. An average reduction of 5% in delay times entails a reduction between 3% and 9% of operating room occupancy.

The braking force of the tractor semi-trailer depends on many random factors and road parameters. Therefore, determining the braking force based on theoretical calculation or simulation is not accurate. This paper presents the method of setting up the braking force measurement system of the tractor semi-trailer on the road and constructing the braking dynamics model of the tractor semi-trailer to investigate the braking force using Matlab-Simulink software. The study results show that the average error between the simulation and experimental results of the tractor semi-trailer braking force is 9,81%.