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Material flow

About: Material flow is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3050 publications have been published within this topic receiving 36844 citations. The topic is also known as: material stream.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The objectives of this paper are to describe the EASETECH framework and the calculation structure, enabling the user to parameterise systems fully and propagate probability distributions through Monte Carlo analysis.
Abstract: A new model for the environmental assessment of environmental technologies, EASETECH, has been developed. The primary aim of EASETECH is to perform life-cycle assessment (LCA) of complex systems handling heterogeneous material flows. The objectives of this paper are to describe the EASETECH framework and the calculation structure. The main novelties compared to other LCA software are as follows. First, the focus is put on material flow modelling, as each flow is characterised as a mix of material fractions with different properties and flow compositions are computed as a basis for the LCA calculations. Second, the tool has been designed to allow for the easy set-up of scenarios by using a toolbox, the processes within which can handle heterogeneous material flows in different ways and have different emission calculations. Finally, tools for uncertainty analysis are provided, enabling the user to parameterise systems fully and propagate probability distributions through Monte Carlo analysis.

236 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that time compression strategies based on model simulation can be confidently used to predict improvements in supply chain performance, which can be used to improve the performance of modern supply chains.
Abstract: Modern supply chains are expected to respond rapidly, effectively and efficiently to changes in the marketplace. Simultaneously there is the drive to achieve world class customer service levels coupled with minimum reasonable inventory (MRI). We thus have the classic conflict of interests between marketing, production and materials management. Marketing wants the complete product range available off‐the‐shelf; production is still, all too often, looking to manufacture in economic batch quantities so as to achieve economies of scale; and materials management is trying to minimize storage and distribution costs which, in turn, requires that a total systems MRI policy be adopted. Time compression at all stages in the chain is seen as the way to respond to these challenges. The ground rules for effective supply chain design were co‐incidentally established in 1961, when Jay Forrester showed that medium period demand amplification was a system dynamics phenomenon which could be tackled by reducing and eliminating delays and the proper design of feedback loops. In the same year, via his “five rules to avoid bankruptcy” directed at smoothing material flow, Burbidge showed that short period demand amplification was due to multi‐phased, multi‐period ordering policies. Confirms that, on the basis of industrial studies, collapsing cycle times drive the business into a more competitive scenario. This means that time compression strategies based on model simulation may be confidently used to predict improvements in supply chain performance.

226 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an exploratory case study in three fresh food supply chains, milk, fresh fish, and fresh poultry, in the Nordic countries, based on interviews and data from the databases of the companies involved.
Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this empirical paper is to study information sharing in fresh food supply chains, with a specific goal of reducing waste and facilitating sustainable performance. The study focuses on material and information flow issues, specifically on sharing demand and shelf‐life data.Design/methodology/approach – This work has been designed as an exploratory case study in three fresh food supply chains, milk, fresh fish, and fresh poultry, in the Nordic countries. The cases are based on interviews and data from the databases of the companies involved. Each case focuses on analyzing information flow, particularly the current order patterns and forecasting and planning process, and material flow, focusing on the supply chain structure. In two cases significant changes have been made to forecasting processes and material flow, while the third case intends to identify the most beneficial uses of shared information to create a sustainable fresh food supply chain.Findings – The performance of the peris...

192 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a project to map, in a high level of detail, the in-use construction material stocks of Japan and its 47 prefectures from the 1940s until the present era.
Abstract: In order to fully comprehend the socioeconomic metabolic (SEM) dynamics and material balance of nations, long-term accounting of economy-wide material stock is necessary in parallel to material flow accounts. Nevertheless, material stock accounts have been scarce, isolated, and mostly focused either on single materials, short time spans, or small regions. This study has two objectives: (1) review the state of the art of material stock research in the SEM discourse and (2) present a project to map, in a high level of detail, the in-use construction material stocks of Japan and its 47 prefectures from the 1940s until the present era. This project documents the two major depositories of material stock: buildings and infrastructure. We describe the challenges and benefits of utilizing a bottom-up approach, in order to promote its usage in material stock studies. The resulting database presents the accumulation of stock over time, as well as visually displaying the spatial distribution of the stock using geographical information systems (GIS), which, we argue, is an essential aspect of material stock analysis in the context of socioeconomic metabolism research

188 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an analysis of material flow during friction stir welding is performed using two different pin profiles: a cylindrical tapered pin with flats and an unthreaded pin with flat faces.

181 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023120
2022221
2021110
2020139
2019174
2018167