Quality Management in Pakistan's Readymade Garments' Industry

Pakistan's readymade garments' industry is a key player in Pakistan's industry in general, and its textile industrial output and exports in particular. In a liberalizing international trade regime, quality will be a critical success factor in the international competitiveness of Pakistan's readymade garments. Research in quality management in Pakistan's readymade garments' industry was undertaken. To gain further information, a postal self-completion questionnaire was mailed to 101 members of the Pakistan Readymade Garments' and Exporters' Association (PRGMEA). The response rate was 32%. It was found that while this industrial segment was in various stages of development, it needs to graduate fast to advanced quality management concepts of Kaizen and total quality management in order to maintain its competitive advantage in an environment that will soon be liberalized fully.     

Quality Management in Pakistan's Knitwear Industry

Although quality is a critical success factor for all types of business, its salience is to be driven home in Pakistan's business environment in general and its export-oriented business segment in Pakistan in particular. As a first part of this effort, we chose to study quality management in Pakistan's knitwear industry, whose combined share with readymade garments in Pakistan's total exports rose to 16.7% by 1997/1998. We mailed a postal self-completion questionnaire to 59 members of the Pakistan Knitwear and Sweaters Exporters Association. The response rate was 29%. It was found that Pakistan's knitwear industry was in various stages of development in quality management, with greater concentration in the quality inspection mode. Although there are attempts to graduate to quality assurance and beyond, it was found that considerable distance has yet to be traversed before Pakistan's knitwear industry acquires a quality philosophy as a part of its overall business approach industrywide. As part of a statistical test, however, advanced quality management concepts were found applicable in Pakistan, although the application is currently limited. These concepts must gain in popularity.     

Six Sigma企业与品质管理系统在制膜工业上的应用

六西格玛作为一种有效的企业和品质管理系统,已被许多美国大公司采用．将六西格玛用于制膜工业,可以使膜产品具有更强的市场竞争力．文章通过一些实例,介绍了六西格玛在科研和制膜方面的应用．     

质量检验与企业质量改进

质量改进是企业质量管理中的重要一环，质量检验方法虽然由来已久，但随着检验观念，检验技术的发展和变革，它在生产过程中正发挥着越来越重要的作用，对于质量改进这一目标更是必不可少，计算机视觉系统（AVI）具有速度快，精度稳定，无损检测等特点，是实现在线实时检测的优良工具，值得推广和应用。     

国内钛粉应用现状

粉末冶金技术是降低钛及钛合金工件成本的有效途径,将促进未来钛粉市场向低成本、高品质方向发展。特别是3D打印市场的不断扩大,将推动高品质钛粉不断向前发展。鉴于钛粉产业发展潜力,通过对钛粉在国内的生产、销售、出口、进口等情况和钛粉在航天航空、石油化工、海洋工程和生物医疗等领域的应用情况以及粉末冶金对钛粉质量的要求等进行了分析和总结,认为未来钛粉在航空航天、海洋工程、生物医疗等领域的应用潜力巨大。钛粉将向低成本、高品质方向发展;钛粉末成型将向大型化、精密化、个性化发展。     

中国钢铁工业的现状和发展

钢铁材料良好的综合性能和易于循环利用等特点,至今仍是人类社会发展所需的不可替代的材料。在过去的20年里,中国的钢铁工业取得了巨大的进步,粗钢年产量已超过1×108t,工艺流程和技术不断得到革新和发展,钢铁品种多样化,满足了国民经济不断发展的需要;薄板坯连铸、低温轧制等高新技术的应用使中国的钢铁工业更具有竞争力和吸引力;致力发展与环境友好、省能的新一代钢铁工业得到了人们广泛的关注;电场、磁场、微波场及超声波等多种物理场将大大强化化学反应和优化凝固过程,它们的运用将会对未来的钢铁工业带来革命性的变化。     

企业创新成果与创新质量的驱动因素研究——基于同群和竞争的视角

社会经济飞速增长,竞争激烈的国际形势要求中国企业大力发展科技,快速提升创新能力。在增加投入的同时提高效率,增加创新成果与提升创新质量是保证企业持续发展的关键路径。文章以2010-2017年的中国上市公司为样本,探讨企业创新成果与创新质量的影响因素。研究了企业创新的同群效应以及行业竞争对同群效应的调节作用。研究发现:企业创新成果受到同群企业的影响。对于强竞争行业中的企业,它们的创新成果受同群公司的影响更大。以实用新型专利和外观设计专利为表现形式的低质量创新产出也具有同群效应,然而这种同群效应会受到行业竞争的负向调节。由此,同群企业对企业的创新成果具有促进作用;有效的竞争环境可以进一步增加创新成果,并通过减少低质量的创新比率的方式增加高质量的创新产出。研究结论丰富了同群效应的理论探索,同时为促进企业与总体社会经济创新的多成果高质量发展提供了参考。     

机器人力控末端执行器综述

随着制造业的智能化发展,机器人抛光、打磨、去毛刺和装配等连续接触式作业的需求日益增加。力控末端执行器作为机器人力-位混合控制与连续接触式作业的关键部件,其性能对于提升机器人作业质量和拓展应用范围具有重要影响。因此,对现有机器人力控末端执行器进行研究,分析其性能特点与关键技术,指明其发展方向,对于高性能力控末端执行器的研制具有重要意义。首先,介绍了力控末端执行器的发展背景,阐述了其组成与分类、工作模式和工作原理;其次,简述了力控末端执行器研发中涉及并联机构构型综合理论与优化技术、恒力补偿作动部件设计技术、质量力补偿技术、柔性碰撞技术、解耦控制技术和力波动抑制技术等;然后,分别对机械式、气动式和电驱式等单自由度与多自由度力控末端执行器的国内外研究现状进行了概述,并分析了各自的优缺点;最后,指出力控末端执行器将向高精度、高频响、电驱化、多自由度柔顺、重载化、高集成化和智能化等方向发展。分析表明,当前普遍应用的力控末端执行器多为机械式或气动式,但存在迟滞大、响应速度较慢和力控制精度不高等缺点,且仅能实现单自由度恒力控制,因此,开展高精度高频响的智能电驱式多自由度力控末端执行器的研制,对于提高机器人连续接触式作业系统的力控制精度、曲面适应性、加工装配质量和效率具有重要意义,可有效提升工厂机器人智能化作业水平。     

区域先导产业选择的质量方法与实证研究——以湖北省制造业为例

先导产业的培育与发展关系到未来5~10年乃至更长时间我国能否保持经济持续增长和实现产业结构转型升级。本研究界定了先导产业的定义、内涵及主要特征,基于产业选择的逻辑和理论,引入产业发展质量维度评估,提出了区域先导产业选择和培育的质量方法。基于此评估方法,以湖北省制造业细分产业为研究对象,从产业基础能力、技术创新水平、产业发展质量、产业增长潜力等维度实证分析和评估湖北未来重点培育先导产业类别。本研究期望通过积极培育未来先导产业,推动传统优势产业转型升级以化解其产能过剩问题。同时,提出了促进湖北省未来先导产业快速发展的政策建议,可为其他区域的先导产业发展提供参考借鉴和实践价值。     

Tolerancing techniques: the state-of-the-art

The intense global competition to produce quality products at a low cost has led many industrial nations to consider mechanical tolerances as a key factor to bring about cost saving as well as to remain competitive. In the last two decades, some work has been done in the area of tolerance techniques. In this paper a comprehensive summary of the state-of-the-art and the projection of future trends in tolerancing techniques is presented to describe improved techniques available today and to aid in guiding research for the future. This paper reviews the status of theory and practice of how manufacturing and assembly processes are characterized for relating tolerancing to process or production cost. The specification of tolerancing on the dimension of the manufactured part has a significant impact on the final production cost. Tight tolerances can result in excessive process cost, while loose tolerances may lead to increased waste and assembly problems. This paper systematically reviews the state-of-the-art by classifying more than 50 papers written so far into five categories. They are, the dimensional tolerances chain technique, geometrical modelling in tolerances, statistical and probabilistic methods in tolerancing, tolerances based on analysis and synthesis, tolerances based on cost-tolerance algorithms and design methods. Future areas of research and the unresolved issues have been presented that will serve as a springboard for researchers to investigate and produce solutions for the end of this century. The present problems and issues once resolved, will revolutionize the manufacturing industry as the year 2000 approaches!     

中国鲆鱼养殖的产业集聚：水平、原因及政策

本文以我国工业化水平相对较高的鲆鱼养殖业为研究对象,采用区位熵和空间基尼系数法,对2003―2012年沿海地区鲆鱼养殖集聚程度进行了测算,结果表明我国鲆鱼养殖业表现出较明显的产业集聚特征,主要集聚于山东省和辽宁省。其中山东省集聚程度始终最高,但在逐步下降,辽宁省则逐步提升。研究指出:中国的鲆鱼养殖之所以出现产业集聚,尽管也有资源禀赋、需求拉动等因素影响,但技术创新和产业政策在其间发挥了尤其重要的作用;要继续推动鲆鲽类产业集群的发展,必须以产业政策为引导、以技术创新为重点,同时打造产业文化,创造市场需求,引领产业发展。     

营改增、税收征管与资本市场质量——基于中国上市公司盈余质量视角的实证检验

健全和有效率的资本市场是中国经济高质量发展的重要驱动力。中国资本市场A股中小投资者占比90%以上,数量已经超过1.6亿,保护中小投资者利益,建设高质量资本市场显得尤为重要。基于上市公司盈余质量视角,论文试图对营改增、税收征管与资本市场质量的相关性展开实证讨论。因现有分税制格局并未发生根本变化,需要检验地方政府是否会因为结构性减税效应导致强化税收征管,传递到资本市场上,因此能够提高上市公司盈余质量,从而有利于提升中国资本市场的优质信用形象。实证结果显示:营改增后,地方税务机关普遍强化了税务征管力度,并由此促进了上市公司盈余质量的提升;相较市场化程度较低的西部地区,市场化程度高的东部地区企业盈余质量提升效果更显著。     

New Clothes from Old Techniques: Restructuring and Flexibility in the US and UK Clothing Industries

With lagging productivity rates in key industrial sectors, manyfirms in the UK and the USA have struggled to remain competitiveagainst low cost imports from newly industrialized countries.Structural readjustments by firms have involved downsizing andefforts to reorganize the labor process. Firms have definedthe problem as one of production rigidities and have developedstrategies designed to reshape the division of labor. That changeis occurring is not in question; it is rather the precise natureand implications of that change, particularly its consequencesfor the role of labor. This paper argues that many firms havesought, and continue to seek, competitive viability throughan amalgam of new technology merged with old work practices.Restructuring is occurring under the guide of enhancing flexibility,but the motives remain rooted in cost lowering, as opposed toproduct and process improvement, strategies. The enhanced economicuncertainty and sustained import penetration have not thereforeled to new production paradigms, as many claim, but are merelyreconfigurations of old ones.     

What's new in reliability engineering?

Reliability engineering is responding to the trend to computer-aided design (CAD), and the current emphasis on improving competitiveness through quality. Islands of automation addressing reliability for both hardware design and software engineering exist which are not yet connected, though government–industry teams are developing integrated software packages of reliability (and maintainability) tools. TQM (total quality management) principles are being adopted in many industries, and the U.S. Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) programme, which requires qualification of a process rather than a product, is now used for procuring microcircuits. However, government regulations remain a barrier to creating a ‘quality culture’. ISO 9000 is seen by industry as a requirement for international competitiveness, but criticized by some as counterproductive. Research and development of reliability engineering tools reflect the need for implementation in CAD frameworks, and fuzzy logic analysis has attracted the attention of the theorists.     

作业成本法在模具企业中应用的可行性研究

阐述了作业成本法的基本思想、操作步骤和适用条件,分析了作业成本法在模具企业应用的可行性,对模具设计与制造过程的作业划分和成本动因的确定进行了初步的探讨,得出模具企业运用作业成本法可以减少和控制模具设计制造过程中的非增值作业,降低模具的成本,最终增强模具企业在市场的核心竞争力。     

Physical-chemical characterization and polymorphism determination of two nimodipine samples deriving from distinct laboratories

Knowing the characteristics of raw materials in pharmaceutical practice is both important and useful. Firstly, evaluating the physical-chemical properties of the substances that will be used must be the primary step for quality control in the pharmacy industry. This work aims at analyzing the physical-chemical characteristics of two nimodipine samples I and II derived from distinct laboratories through thermal analysis (DSC and TG/DTG), HPLC, crystallography, and microscopy. Thermal analysis showed that sample II was more unstable than I. Morphological differences concerning shape, size, and crystallinity of particles were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction. To sum up, the techniques used in this study can be said to have been efficient in the characterization and evaluation of quality control of the raw material.     

无损检测在特殊工业建设工程质量监督中的应用

化工、电力、煤炭、冶金等特殊工业建设工程科技含量高,技术风险大,工程质量问题具有隐蔽性,涉及公共利益和公众安全。特殊工业建设工程质量监督是根据国家的法律、法规和相关工业工程建设强制性标准,对责任主体和有关机构履行质量责任的行为以及工程实体质量进行监督检查,维护公众利益的行政执法行为,必须体现出一定的科学性。无损检测作为建设工程质量监督机构抽查工程实体质量并据以评价工程质量的重要技术手段,在工程质量监督、工程质量评价以及工程质量鉴定中发挥了重要的作用。     

Physical-Chemical Characterization and Polymorphism Determination of Two Nimodipine Samples Deriving from Distinct Laboratories

Knowing the characteristics of raw materials in pharmaceutical practice is both important and useful. Firstly, evaluating the physical-chemical properties of the substances that will be used must be the primary step for quality control in the pharmacy industry. This work aims at analyzing the physical-chemical characteristics of two nimodipine samples I and II derived from distinct laboratories through thermal analysis (DSC and TG/DTG), HPLC, crystallography, and microscopy. Thermal analysis showed that sample II was more unstable than I. Morphological differences concerning shape, size, and crystallinity of particles were visualized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction. To sum up, the techniques used in this study can be said to have been efficient in the characterization and evaluation of quality control of the raw material.     

Accidents,often the result of an ‘uncontrolled business process’—a study in the (Dutch) chemical industry

Often companies in the (petro‐) chemical industry claim that all possible countermeasures against potential accidents have been taken and therefore accidents are unforeseeable. In this paper we question this statement by analysing the pre‐warning signals (precursors) preceding a number of industrial accidents. 17 accidents that occurred in the (petro‐) chemical industry have been investigated by exploring FACTS, an accident database containing information about industrial accidents worldwide. This paper will demonstrate that the existence of precursor information could have been used to foresee and even prevent these accidents if a proper control action had been initiated. The accidents are analysed further, according to a control model, which was adapted from that of C. Argyris. It demonstrates the ineffectiveness of several elements of business process control loops and that the so‐called ‘double‐loop learning’ cycle is more important than the ‘single‐loop learning’ cycle if one considers safety improvement. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality management practices and operational performance: Empirical evidence for Spanish industry

Progressive implantation of the ideas and techniques related to the concept of quality management is perhaps the most patent expression of the change and innovation which has taken place in organizations in recent years. Companies aim to increase their competitive advantage by improving operational performance. Or is this the case? The research is based on information obtained from a wide sample of industrial plants ( n = 965), employing more than 50 workers and belonging to all sectors of the manufacturing industry in Spain. After a thorough review of the literature relevant to this issue, a series of hypotheses is tested using logit models. Multiple regression analysis is applied in order to ascertain which dimension of the quality management practices has the greatest effect. The results are consistent with those of most of the studies carried out to date and demonstrate a significant relationship between the level of implementation of quality management practices and improvement in operational performance in terms of cost, quality and flexibility. Quality management practices related to product design and development, together with human resource practices, are the most significant predictors of operational performance.