Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Partial Budgeting Analysis Of Conventional Pump Over Versus Pulsair Cap Management System For A Large–Scale California Winery, Zachary Thomas Hicks

Agribusiness

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the financial feasibility of implementing an automated gas injection system from Pulsair as an alternative to the traditional pump over cap mixing technique that is used during the alcoholic fermentation stage of winemaking.

There were various costs involved in this project that were determined and explained through the use of the partial budgeting method. The costs that were thoroughly analyzed included equipment, labor, utility, and initial investment costs for the Pulsair system as well as the related pump over operation costs. After the two methods associated numbers were evaluated, they were then …

The Fresh Express Lean Changeover Project, Mario Borbas

Industrial Technology and Packaging

In the current economic turmoil, industry leaders across the globe are resorting to means of increasing efficiency without having a large initial investment. Lean manufacturing principles have been adopted by companies because of its ability to increase throughput, lower overhead, reduce waste, and increase the overall quality of products. The value of lean manufacturing solutions has been increasing in the past decade and continues to increase into 2011.

This project is centered on a current situation regarding a changeover process that has recently been made more efficient. The goal is to create new ways to make this same process even …

Material Weight Station Optimization Senior Project, Douglas Peters, Michael Eng

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The main principle of all industry is that “time is money”. This senior project focuses on reducing operation times for Specialty Silicone Fabricators (SSFab) materials weighing station. Currently SSFab is set up so that multiple operators check the weights of materials. This is done to guarantee the accuracy of the readings and maintain tight quality control. This project will focus on eliminating the need of multiple weight checkers as a way to save time and ultimately save money.

Through detailed research and studies it has been determined that the most appropriate solution to this problem is a weight checking software …

Gauge Repeatability And Reproducibility Study For A Bulge Test Fixture For Corrugated Boxes, Anthony J. Hall

Industrial Technology and Packaging

This senior project evaluates the measurement variation within a corrugated container bulge tester by utilizing a gauge repeatability and reproducibility study. Bulge is a type of deformation containers experience when subject to compressive forces such as stacking or internal forces due to under- and over-packaging. Both compressive and internal forces can accelerate the failure of a container by causing panels to flex and flutes to buckle, compromising structural integrity. Additionally, variable environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity can magnify the effect bulge has on a container, speeding up the failure rate of a container.