VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Buehlmann, Urs"

Browsing by Author "Buehlmann, Urs"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 123

An Application of Lean Thinking to the Furniture Engineering Process
Wang, Chao (Virginia Tech, 2011-03-21)
Efficient engineering processes are critically important for furniture manufacturers. Engineering impacts the production cost, design quality, product lead time, and customer satisfaction. This research presents a systematic approach to analyze a furniture engineering process through a case study. The research was conducted through a case study in a furniture plant located in China, producing American style furniture products. The first stage was to investigate the company's current engineering process, identify non value-added activities, and analyze the engineering performance based on selected Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as lead time, document error rate, and engineering throughput. A survey questionnaire was sent out to the engineering group to determine the current engineering efficiency. Results show that "product complexity" and "engineer competency" are the two most influential factors that impact engineering lead time and quality. In the second stage, value stream mapping was used to analyze an upholstery furniture engineering process. The approach encompasses an analysis of the current state of the engineering process and the proposal of a lean future state value stream map (VSM). Results from the current state VSM show, that the value-added ratio of the current engineering process is only 26%. Several engineering steps present deficiency such as the processes of creating drawings, compile mass production documents, check and sign-off engineering documents, create CNC programs, and generate packaging files. Based on current state VSM analysis, the researcher focused on transforming these processes to eliminate waste and to propose the best practices for the future state VSM. From this research, it shows that current processes include a large amount of non-value adding activities such as waiting, extra processing, rework, excess motion, transportation, underutilized people, and inefficient information. These non-value adding activities are interfering with engineers' ability to prepare engineering documents for downstream jobs and affecting the overall manufacturing process. The VSM is effective to provide the visual control over the engineering process for implementing lean transformations.
The Effect of Green Insulation Standards on Moisture Accumulation within Framing of Residential Structures
Knight, Kevin Brian (Virginia Tech, 2012-01-18)
Green building standards recommend use of a variety of new thermal insulation products. However, durability of wooden framing used in conjunction with new insulation materials has not been thoroughly examined, specifically in reference to interstitial condensation. This research used a single-sided hot-box design to measure moisture content of wood framing during a 60-day period. The resulting moisture content of the wood framing was compared as tested with spray-applied cellulose and polyurethane versus fiberglass batt insulation. The average moisture content of framing insulated with cellulose and polyurethane was greater than framing insulated with fiberglass. Based on the results from this research, the use of spray-applied cellulose and polyurethane insulation materials may increase the risk of structural durability. Green building standards, such as LEED for Homes or the National Green Building Standard, emphasize creating energy efficient structures to limit negative impact on the environment. Green building practices employed to increase energy efficiency of the building enclosure may overlook possible adverse effects that these practices may have on structural durability. Because spray-applied cellulose and polyurethane insulation increase moisture content of wooden framework within building enclosures, it can be deduced that energy efficient insulation may increase risk of moisture-related biodeterioration of the building enclosure. After review of points awarded for insulation materials within LEED for Homes and the National Green Building Standard, results from this study imply that the National Green Building Standard does not emphasize durability of wooden structures in their guidelines at the present time.
The Effect of Kerf Thickness on Hardwood Log Recovery
Thomas, R. Edward; Buehlmann, Urs (Forest Products Society, 2022-02-07)
When sawing a log into lumber or other products, the saw blade removes material to separate the wood fibers between the resulting two parts, a loss of material that is commonly referred to as saw kerf. Thicker kerfs result in greater waste and less material available to produce lumber. Over the past decades, with the advancement of materials and technology, saw blade thickness has decreased. However, the reduction in material loss owing to a reduction in saw kerf may not always translate into a statistically significant increase in lumber product recovery. In this study, we explored the effect of saw kerf thickness on lumber recovery for a range of hardwood log diameters using the US Forest Service's Log Recovery Analysis Tool (LORCAT) sawmill simulation tool. Results indicate that the recovery gains realized depend upon the log diameters sawn, the lumber target thickness, and the change (reduction) in the thickness of the saw kerf.
Estimating Component Yield for CLT Production
Buehlmann, Urs; Thomas, R. Edward (2017)
The emergence of cross-laminated timber (CLT) for building construction in North America may provide an additional and possibly more valuable product market for hardwood logs. Using the RaySaw sawing and ROMI rough mill simulators and a digital databank of laser-scanned low-grade yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) logs, we examine the yield-recovery potential for components used in the production of CLT. Results include a sawing yield of 65% and a rough-mill yield of 78%, for a total material yield of approximately 50%. This study confirmed the usability of yellow poplar as a material for the production of CLT and allows to estimate the impact on our forest resource of increased use of yellow poplar CLT.
Integrating the Least-Cost Grade-Mix Solver into ROMI
Buck, Rebecca Arlene (Virginia Tech, 2009-12-08)
Up to 70 percent of rough mill manufacturing expenses stem from raw material (lumber) cost. Rough mill costs can be reduced by optimizing the lumber grade or grades that are purchased. This solution is known as the least-cost lumber grade-mix solution. The least-cost lumber grade-mix solutions has been a topic of great interest to both the secondary hardwood industry and to academia since even small changes in raw material cost can contribute to substantial reduction in rough mill expenses. A statistical model was developed for finding the least-cost lumber grade-mix which uses the rough mill simulator, ROMI-RIP 2.0, and the statistical package, SAS 8.2. The SAS 8.2-based least-cost lumber grade-mix model was validated by comparing SAS 8.2-based least-cost grade-mix solutions to OPTIGRAMI 2.0, a least-cost lumber grade-mix solver that relies on linear modeling. The SAS 8.2-based least-cost lumber grade-mix solver found lower cost solutions in 9 of 10 cutting bills that were tested. The SAS 8.2-based least-cost lumber grade-mix solver was packaged with ROMI 3.0, an updated version of ROMI-RIP, and provided to industry free of charge by the USDA Forest Service. The USDA Forest Service also purchased a SAS server license to allow least-cost lumber grade-mix solver users free access to SAS 8.2. However, industry users were reluctant to use the USDA Forest Service SAS server since it requires the user to enter individual cost and yield data to a government computer. This solution also required the user to have internet access and limited access to one user at any time. Thus, the goal of this research was to incorporate the least-cost lumber grade-mix solver into ROMI using the free, open source statistical package R 2.7.2. An R 2.7.2-based least-cost lumber grade-mix solver was developed and validated by comparing the R 2.7.2-based least-cost lumber grade-mix solutions to the updated SAS 9.2-based least-cost lumber grade-mix solutions. No differences were found in the least-cost lumber grade-mix solutions from either solver. Thus, a new least-cost lumber grade-mix solver using the R 2.7.2 open source statistical package was created. R 2.7.2 is installed on each personal computer on which the USDA Forest Service's ROMI rough mill simulation software is installed and, thus, no external computing resources are needed when solving the least-cost lumber grade-mix problem.
Investigation of Research Commercialization at a University: A Case Study
Zhou, Yu (Virginia Tech, 2015-05-06)
With the increase of awareness and focus on university research commercialization, much research had been conducted to investigate this subject. It was revealed that because universities were not traditionally built to serve the purpose of commercialization, many obstacles existed in the path of university research commercialization. Historically, research had largely focused on identifying critical factors that impacted the performance of commercialization. However, it was not clear how those findings could be systematically incorporated into the commercialization improvement plan of individual cases. This research intended to fill this gap and provide a framework that could be used by most universities to access and improve their research commercialization process. A case study of a U.S. land-grant university was conducted and a narrative approach was mainly used as the method of data analysis. Under the scope of a single-case study, four sub-studies were conducted to address the goals of this research. First, a framework was developed that incorporated theories of existing research and the value stream map of lean management. Interviews with the intellectual property office and faculty were conducted to determine if the theoretical framework was applicable. It was found that the framework fitted well with the current process of university research commercialization. After that, a survey that covered a sample size of 1110 researchers at the targeted university was conducted to investigate the importance of different resources at different stages of the process. Resources that were under investigation were grouped into four categories: technical, human, social, and financial resources. This research identified the most important resources for research commercialization were industrial connections (social resource) and assistance from the intellectual property (IP) office (human resource), with industrial connections playing a more importance role at the beginning of the process and the IP office from the stage of patent application. To assess organizational characteristics of the targeted university, interviews were conducted with 22 faculty, three representatives from the administration, one representative from the intellectual property office, and one representative from an external organization. Six criteria derived from previous research were used to guide the assessment: (1) expenditures on research and development (RandD), (2) intellectual property policy, (3) research field, (4) key individuals, (5) commitment to innovation, and (6) networking with external relations. It was found that the targeted university had strong evidence of the advantages of expenditures on RandD and research field, however, it was relatively weak in the other four characteristics. The last part of the research involved interviews with two companies for the purpose of developing a best practice for research commercialization with the examples from the industry. Recommendations to improve targeted university's research commercialization were developed based on findings of the research.
Leadership and Healthcare Performance
Schmitt, Mathias (Virginia Tech, 2012-05-15)
The U.S. health care delivery system faces serious challenges such as an increasing demand for services due to an aging population, unhealthy lifestyles, growth in the number of uninsured individuals, and an increase in chronic diseases. At the same time, the system has to cope with a limited supply of money, physicians, and nurses inferior quality of care delivered by U.S. hospitals. While the U.S. hospital industry is adapting to address these issues, not much progress in improving the quality of care delivered has been made over the last decade. However, theories exist that management systems, organizational traits, and leadership are key factors for hospitals to improve quality of care outcomes. This study takes a holistic look at these factors to identify and analyze critical drivers for better quality of care outcomes of U.S. hospitals. The study also aims to identify differences between chief executive officers' (CEOs) leadership traits among lean (mediocre performance), high (top 20th percentile), and low performing (bottom 20th percentile) U.S. hospitals in regards to their quality of care measures. Two separate online surveys were conducted. The first online survey was targeted at all 4,697 U.S. hospitals that are required to disclose quality of care measures to the Federal government. Results of this first survey revealed that two management system factors drive quality of care outcomes of U.S. hospitals. Furthermore, findings also show that critical access hospitals have a lower quality of care performance than acute care hospitals. Thus, based on the results from this survey, we concluded that management system factors are main drivers of hospital performance, whereas organizational trait and leadership factors did not significantly contribute to hospital performance. A second survey to CEOs and CEO followers in 9 selected hospitals found significant differences between CEO traits leading lean and low performing hospitals, and, to a lesser degree, significant differences among high and low performing hospitals. However, the study did not find any significant differences in CEO traits between lean and high performing hospitals. Findings also include that some management system factors differed significantly between lean and high performing hospitals, but no evidence for such differences could be found between lean and high and high and low performing hospitals, respectively. These results suggest that management systems and CEO leadership traits play an important role in determining U.S. hospital performance as measured by their quality of care.
Lean at Hardwood Lumber Inc.
Buehlmann, Urs; Andersch, Adrienne (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2017-06-09)
Discusses management practices at a lumber business during the economic recession of 2008, and how the business changed in response to the lesser demand for wood products.
Lean Implementation and the Role of Lean Accounting in the Transportation Equipment Manufacturing Industry
Andersch, Adrienn (Virginia Tech, 2014-11-13)
Implementing Lean in the United States transportation equipment manufacturing industry holds the promise for improvements in, among other things, productivity, quality, and innovation, resulting in more competitive success and profits. Although Lean has been applied throughout the industry with noted success, there have been some difficulties in demonstrating the financial benefits derived from Lean initiatives. Most of the evidence supporting a positive relationship between Lean implementation and improved financial performance is anecdotal. As companies have become more proficient in carrying out Lean initiatives in manufacturing, they have extended Lean ideas to other parts of their organization and throughout the entire supply chain. Nowadays, it is widely recognized that a holistic, enterprise-wide view is critical to obtain the potential benefits of a Lean transformation. However, Lean transformations are often undertaken without consideration of supporting functions such as accounting and finance. Lean transformation in accounting and finance should be run in the same way as it is in the manufacturing environment by decreasing reporting cycle time, improving transaction processing accuracy, eliminating unnecessary transaction processing, changing product costing procedures, and financial reporting among many other things, but there is limited empirical evidence of that happening. To address these shortcomings, this research focuses on three areas. First, this study aims to evaluate transportation equipment manufacturing facilities in respect to their operational and financial performance. Second, this study aims to investigate the extent of Lean implementation of a given operation in respect to leadership, manufacturing, accounting and finance, and supplier and customer relationship and correlate these results to their performance. Finally, this study aims to further examine the contextual characteristics of companies that successfully aligned their systems with Lean. A mixed-mode survey, addressed to a subset of the United States transportation equipment manufacturing industry, asked questions pertinent to companies' Lean transformation efforts, performance, and general characteristics. During the four months long survey period, a total of 69 valid responses were received, for a response rate of 3.78 percent. From the 69 valid responses, 8 responses were eliminated due to containing more than 20 percent missing values. Multiple imputation procedure was applied to handle remaining missing values in the dataset. Before testing study hypotheses, scale reliability and construct validity tests were run to decide whether a particular survey item should be retained in further analysis. Study hypotheses were then tested using profile deviation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. When the level of Lean implementation and performance relationship was investigated using a multiple regression analysis, results did not show any evidence that the higher level of Lean implementation along four business dimensions (leadership, manufacturing, accounting and finance, and supplier and customer relationship) of transportation equipment manufacturing facilities positively influences their operational and financial performance. However, it was revealed that the higher level of Lean implementation in transportation equipment manufacturing facilities' manufacturing dimension resulted in better quality performance as measured by first-time through, inbound quality, and outbound quality. When the same relationship was investigated using a profile deviation analysis, results were identical. When the level of Lean implementation in accounting and finance and its relationship with performance was investigated using a single regression analysis, results showed that the higher level of Lean implementation in transportation equipment manufacturing facilities' accounting and finance dimension has a positive effect on accounting performance and on operational performance (e.g., on time-based performance and delivery-based performance), but no effect on financial performance. When the same relationship was investigated using a profile deviation analysis, results were different by showing no relationship between the level of Lean implementation in transportation equipment manufacturing facilities' accounting and finance dimension and accounting, operational, and financial performance. Lastly, the effect of contextual variables (e.g., industry segment, location, annual sales volume, and unionization) on performance, the level of Lean implementation, and the performance -- Lean implementation relationship was investigated using hierarchical regression. Results showed that transportation equipment manufacturing facilities' performance is influenced by annual sales volume. Their level of Lean implementation in the accounting and finance dimension is influenced by location, while their performance -- Lean implementation in the accounting and finance dimension relationship is influenced by industry segment.
Lean Management: Awareness, Implementation Status, and Need for Implementation Support in Virginia's Wood Industry
Fricke, Christian (Virginia Tech, 2010-12-08)
During the last decades, the U.S. wood products (NAICS 321) and furniture manufacturing (NAICS 337) industries have been greatly affected by economic cycles, rising production and transportation costs, changing buyer habits, and, arguably, most powerfully, increasing global competition. As a result, tens of thousands of jobs were lost and a large number of companies in the industry experienced bankruptcy, closed operations, or relocated to other countries. However, theories exist stating that the use of management systems, such as, for example, Lean management, allows companies to become more competitive and enhance the likelihood of survival. A mail survey was conducted to investigate companies in Virginia's wood products and furniture manufacturing industries as to their awareness of Lean management, the implementation of Lean practices, as well as the companies' need for support in Lean implementation efforts. Findings indicate that a majority of Virginia's wood products and furniture manufacturing industries have heard about terms like, for example, Lean management, Lean manufacturing, or Lean thinking, but are rarely aware of individual Lean elements of which Lean consists. Few businesses thus have implemented Lean. However, findings show that Lean awareness and Lean implementation status differs between individual industry sub-segments. The group of industry segments with the highest Lean awareness and Lean implementation status were "engineered wood products," "manufactured homes," and "household furniture manufacturing," as opposed to industry sub-segments such as "sawmill" and "wood container and pallets," which had lower Lean awareness and Lean implementation status. The study also revealed that smaller companies (less than 50 employees) have a lower level of Lean awareness and implementation status than do larger companies (50-499 employees). Despite the low level of Lean implementation across the wood products and furniture manufacturing industry in Virginia, less than one-fourth of all respondents indicated a need for Lean implementation support.
Lean Manufacturing: Setup Time Reduction in Secondary Wood Manufacturing Facilities in North America
Kucuk, Enis (Virginia Tech, 2016-06-28)
Since the emergence and the subsequent evolution of lean manufacturing concepts, numerous enterprises of different scale and specialties have adopted lean tools and techniques in their facilities with varying success. In general, lean manufacturing related studies have been conducted on large manufacturing firms, such as the automotive industry. Yet, lean manufacturing tools and techniques are also suited for small enterprises. Thus, the main concern of this study is to investigate the success of set-up time reduction efforts (one of the steps needed to achieve 'one-piece flow') in secondary wood products manufacturing facilities on four woodworking machines (moulder, shaper, table saw, and band saw) based on firm size. The first objective of this research is to explore the results of the implementation of set-up time reduction efforts on selected woodworking machines in enterprises of varying size. It is assumed that company size is a major factor influencing the rate of set-up time improvements. To that end, the first hypothesis, which states that 'Small firms are less successful in reducing set-up time through set-up time reduction efforts than are large firms,' has been developed and supportive questions have been corresponding created. While statistical testing of the hypotheses created for this is not possible due to the limited number of participants, speculations about the possible outcome can be made. Thus, for hypothesis one, the data obtained does not show any sign of a relationship between a firm size and the success rate of set-up time reduction efforts. The second objective of this study is to investigate how a firm's productivity is affected by set-up time reduction efforts as related to firm size. With regards to some of the weaknesses of typical small manufacturing firms (e.g. having limited budget and resources, intuitive management strategies including lack of strategic planning), large firms, by and large, are expected to be more successful in increasing productivity through set-up time reduction. To that end, the goal is to investigate results of the set-up time reduction efforts in terms of productivity improvement in manufacturing facilities. With this in mind, the second hypothesis was proposed, which reads 'Small firms achieve lower productivity gains through set-up time reduction than do large firms.' For the second hypothesis, while no conclusive proof can be offered, no sign of a relationship between firm size and productivity gain through set-up time reduction could be found. Another objective of this study is to explore the success rate of set-up time activities on the four types of woodworking machines in industry facilities considering the training activities provided by manufacturers. The aim is to compare set-up time improvement performance of manufacturers between enterprises which trained their workers/operators and enterprises which did not train their employees. To understand the relationship between the scale of firms (and/or facilities) and training activities to improve set-ups, the third hypothesis, which reads 'Small firms are less concerned with set-up time reduction through training than are large firms,' has been developed. For the third hypothesis, while testing is not possible, it appears that there is no relationship between firm size and the level of concern for set-up time reduction through training activities. The final objective of this research is to investigate whether the secondary wood manufacturing firms studied experienced a bottleneck in their production due to the long set-up actions of machines. In order to accomplish this objective, the final hypothesis, 'In both, large and small firms, bottlenecks occur at machines with high set-up times,' has been developed. The final hypothesis cannot be accepted or rejected due to the limited number of responses obtained, set-up time was a frequently indicated explanation for the occurrence of production bottlenecks in secondary wood products manufacturing firms.
Lean Thinking: Examples and Applications in the Wood Products Industry
Buehlmann, Urs; Quesada, Henry Jose (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2018-11-06)
Provides information about lean thinking, a process of increasing value and reducing waste in manufacturing.
Lean Thinking: Examples and Applications in the Wood Products Industry
Quesada, Henry Jose; Buehlmann, Urs (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2011-11-17)
Summarizes lean thinking, a process of increasing value and reducing waste in manufacturing.
Methodology for the Visual Inspection of Selected Engineered Wood Products and Connector Hardware for Prescriptive Non-Compliance at the Pre-Drywall Stage of Residential Construction
Bouldin, John Conrad (Virginia Tech, 2011-06-29)
The use of engineered wood products (EWP) in residential construction has increased in recent years. Most specifications for the installation of these components are found in proprietary manufacturer literature rather than in the building code. Although some home inspections include EWP prescriptive compliance, very little applied and academic literature addresses this practice. This lack of practical information and the lack of standardized inspection methods can result in undetected non-compliant EWP installations that fail to meet the minimum safety provisions of the building code. The goal of this project was to develop a visual inspection methodology, associated knowledge base, and software application for the inspection of EWPs and connector hardware (CH) in new residential construction at the pre-drywall stage. The methodology was based upon subject matter expert (SME) inputs and validation was derived from the use of a modified Delphi method that was able to the gather, collate, refine, and validate the research process and outputs based on the expertise of the subject matter experts. The concept of high face validity was used to establish project validity. Installation problems with EWPs and CH were noted by the SMEs partly because the use and installation instructions for proprietary products are not found in building codes. Building code officials (BCO) and home inspector (HI) SME responses indicated a need for a methodology and software to aid in the inspection process. Although authoritative reference materials for prescriptive installation are available, the scope of material is not consistent between manufacturers, and is presented in different formats for different brands. The developed software application provides ready access to reference materials needed for EWP and CH installations. No widely accepted inspection methodology is available, although the HI SMEs used systematic inspection methods. Inspection methods such as the top-down method and sighting along the patterns of repetitious framing elements can improve the detection of non-compliant installations. BCO and HI SMEs identified both component-specific and zone-specific techniques as a part of the systematic inspection methodology. Definable high risk areas for each EWP and CH were identified and the associated inspection methods may help the inspector reduce the incidence of undetected problem areas. Knowledge of the high-risk areas may also enhance the inspection. The developed software application was found to be a useful inspection tool. BCO and HI SMEs determined that functions of the computer software necessary for use included ease of use, onboard reference materials, specific inspection techniques, prepared comments, and technical illustrations.
Pensamiento Lean: Ejemplos y Aplicaciones en la Industria de Productos de Madera
Quesada, Henry Jose; Buehlmann, Urs; Arias, Edgar (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2013-05-09)
Resume el pensamiento esbelto, un proceso de creciente valor y la reducciòn de residuos en la industria manufacturera. Apéndice incluye los detalles para la construcciòn del mapa de flujo de valor (VSM).
Pensamiento Lean: Ejemplos y Aplicaciones en la Industria de Productos de Madera
Quesada, Henry Jose; Buehlmann, Urs; Arias, Edgar (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2018-11-20)
Provides information about lean thinking, a process of increasing value and reducing waste in manufacturing.
Potential for Yield Improvement in Combined Rip-First and Crosscut-First Rough Mill Processing
Thomas, R. Edward; Buehlmann, Urs (2016-02)
Traditionally, lumber cutting systems in rough mills have either first ripped lumber into wide strips and then crosscut the resulting strips into component lengths (rip-first), or first crosscut the lumber into component lengths, then ripped the segments to the required widths (crosscut-first). Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Crosscut-first typically works best for the production of wider components, while rip-first favors the production of narrower and longer components. Thus, whichever type of processing method is selected for a given rough mill usually depends on the characteristics of the cutting bills the mill expects to process. There is a third option, a dual-line mill that contains both ripfirst and crosscut-first processing streams. To date, such mills have been rare for a variety of reasons, complexity and cost being among them. However, dual-line systems allow the mill to respond to varying cutting bill size demands as well as to board characteristics that favor one method (rip-first or crosscut-first) over the other. Using the Rough Mill Simulator (ROMI 4), this paper examines the yield improvement potential of dual-line processing over single-system processing (i.e., rip-first or crosscut-first processing alone) for a variety of cutting bills and lumber grade mixes.
A Preliminary Assessment of Industry 4.0 and Digitized Manufacturing in the North American Woodworking Industry
Bumgardner, Matthew; Buehlmann, Urs (Forest Products Society, 2022-03-07)
Industry 4.0, a term referring to the digitization of manufacturing, enhanced automation, and data-driven production systems, promises to bring rapid change to the secondary woodworking industry. Manufacturers in this sector, many being small in size and scale, may be challenged to remain competitive without understanding how Industry 4.0 principles might affect their operations. A study conducted with subscribers to a major secondary wood industry trade journal found that few North American woodworking companies were familiar with the term "Industry 4.0." However, that did not mean they were not making decisions about, investing in, and implementing digitization-computerization (digit-comp) in their manufacturing operations. Well over half of study respondents indicated that their firms had made a significant investment in digit-comp over the past 3 years. Several respondents stated that software and technology integration was the most unexpected problem encountered, and that skilled labor was difficult to find. A variety of training types were sought by firms that had made significant Industry 4.0-related investments, especially training related to machine operation. Although a plurality of respondents from both small and large firms indicated that increased digit-comp would not change their number of employees, small firms were more likely to say more employees would be needed and large firms were more likely to perceive a decrease in employees. Perhaps the greatest challenge to successful implementation of Industry 4.0 will be the lack of a strategic plan-just 19 percent of small firms indicated having a vision of how digitization might affect their business.
Recent Developments in US Hardwood Lumber Markets and Linkages to Housing Construction
Buehlmann, Urs; Bumgardner, Matthew; Alderman, Delton (2017-09)
The housing industry has long provided important markets for the higher-value hardwood lumber used in fixtures such as cabinets, flooring, and millwork. These markets have become even more important in the face of the decline in furniture manufacture in the USA. The importance of housing and other construction markets to the US hardwood industry is the focus of the current review. The housing crisis that began in 2007 (from a construction data perspective) has had a profound impact on the hardwood industry by reducing demand for many products and hardwood industry employment, metrics that recently have started to recover. For higher-value hardwoods, exports have become a critical market in the face of historically low US housing starts. Industrial markets such as pallets and railway ties, traditionally markets for lower-value products, also have increased in relative importance in recent years. While housing starts are expected to eventually return to the long-term trend, an analysis of the current marketplace illustrates the importance of the construction markets to the hardwood industry. Potential new markets for emerging products that can make use of hardwoods also are derived from construction-based sectors, so the overall importance of housing and building construction to the hardwood industry is not likely to wane for the foreseeable future.
A Specialized Data Crawler for Cross-Laminated Timber Information Resources
Thomas, Ed; Espinoza, Omar A.; Bora, Rahul; Buehlmann, Urs (2020)
The Internet is composed of more than 6.2 billion Web pages and grows larger every day. As the number of links and specialty subject areas grows, it becomes ever more difficult to find pertinent information. For some subject areas, special-purpose data crawlers continually search the Internet for specific information; examples include real estate, air travel, auto sales, and others. The use of such special-purpose data crawlers (i.e., targeted crawlers and knowledge databases) also allows the collection and analysis of agricultural and forestry data. Such single-purpose crawlers can search for hundreds of key words and use machine learning to determine if what is found is relevant. In this article, we examine the design and data return of such a specialty knowledge database and crawler system developed to find information related to cross-laminated timber (CLT). Our search engine uses intelligent software to locate and update pertinent references related to CLT as well as to categorize information with respect to common application and interest areas. At the time of this publication, the CLT knowledge database has cataloged nearly 3,000 publications regarding various aspects of CLT.

Browsing by Author "Buehlmann, Urs"

Results Per Page

Sort Options