Journal of Manufacturing & Management Technology

Influence of Resistance Spot Welding on Tensile Shear Strength and Intermetallic Compound Formation in Dissimilar SPFH780 Low−Alloy Carbon Steel and 5052 Aluminum Alloy Joints

2026-06-15T19:10:36+07:00

This research investigates the influence of welding current levels and pulse configurations on the mechanical properties and intermetallic compound (IMC) formation behavior at the interface of resistance spot−welded (RSW) joints between SPFH780 low−alloy carbon steel 1.60 mm thick and 5052 aluminum alloy 1.50 mm thick. A comparative study was conducted using single−pulse and double−pulse current modes at intensities of 11000, 11500, 12000, and 12500 Amperes (A). The results demonstrate that double−pulse RSW yields significantly higher average tensile−shear strengths than single−pulse welding across all tested current levels. Notably, a peak average tensile shear strength of 4534.654 N was achieved at a current of 12500 A using the double−pulse mode. This improvement is attributed to the superior thermal cycle control and the reduction of excessive heat accumulation inherent in the double−pulse delivery, which effectively limits the growth of brittle Fe₂Al₅ and FeAl₃ IMC layers to an optimal thickness. Microstructural analysis via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy−dispersive X−ray spectroscopy (EDS) further revealed that increasing the welding current directly enhances heat input, thereby expanding the weld nugget size and improving the mechanical load−bearing capacity of the joints. In conclusion, the double−pulse welding process serves as a highly effective technique for enhancing mechanical performance and regulating interfacial IMC formation in dissimilar metal joining.

Application of Lean Office and Process Engineering to Improve the Productivity of a Labor Skills Certificate Management System: A Case Study of a National Labor Skills Testing Center

2026-06-15T13:36:27+07:00

This study aims to improve the labor skills certificate management process in a case–study testing center by integrating Lean Office, process engineering, and an AI–Assisted Workflow with Google Workspace. A before–and–after case study was conducted using value stream mapping and ECRS. Time measurements were collected from the same set of 30 certificates, whereas data–error checks covered 95 certificates before improvement and 30 certificates after improvement. The main indicators were lead time, process cycle efficiency, retrieval time, and error rate. The original 6–step process required 4.00 ± 0.30 min/certificate and yielded a PCE of 37.5%. The improved 5–step process used Google Apps Script to create hyperlinks to PDF files stored in Google Drive, with staff verification retained. Lead time decreased to 1.60 ± 0.06 min/certificate (t = 43.9, p < 0.001), retrieval time decreased from 22.5 ± 4.5 min to 0.4 ± 0.1 min (t = 26.9, p < 0.001), and PCE increased to 95.6%. No data error was observed in the post–improvement sample; however, Fisher’s Exact Test yielded p = 0.062, so the error–rate result is interpreted as a decreasing tendency rather than statistical significance at the 0.05 level. The economic analysis indicated an annual time–cost saving of approximately 7,981 THB and a payback period of about four months. The findings suggest that a low–cost digital workflow can reduce retrieval time and redundant clerical work in certificate–based document management.

Enhancing Supply Chain Transparency Using Blockchain Technology

2026-06-08T13:20:31+07:00

Supply chain transparency is essential in creating trust, traceability and accountability in today’s global and distributed supply chains. The traditional supply chain management platforms are not transparent, have no data repository, and are subject to manipulation by auditors with time–consuming audit procedures. The study identifies the nature of blockchain technology for enhancing transparency in supply chains through decentralizing data sharing, access to data and effective consent mechanisms. A controlled blockchain system was designed and tried with a kind of fake data of 50,000 data transactions in five functional phases of the supply chain. It analysed the performance of Proof of work (PoW), Proof of Stake (PoS), Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) and Merkle tree based verification, in a practical way. The findings show that compared to PoW, PBFT has a much better latency of transactions by a margin of 90 ms and throughput of 300 transactions per second; in contrast, PoW has 950 ms and 15 transactions per second. The Merkle Tree verification also implemented greater transparency as accuracy rate in traceability was enhanced to 99.8% and also decreased the time taken on auditing to 12 seconds per product which was a cut in over 90 percent time in the current supply chain systems. Experiments on fault tolerance revealed that PBFT could achieve ledger consistency even in the presence of a faulty node count in up to 33% of the nodes. Altogether, the results prove that the blockchain–based supply chain systems can significantly enhance the transparency, traceability, and effectiveness of audit measures and can be non–neglectable in an actual enterprise and regulatory context.

Design and Performance Analysis of an Automatic Mould Forming Machine for Steamed Sticky Rice

2026-06-11T14:46:52+07:00

This research aimed to design and analyze the performance of an automatic mold-forming machine for steamed Sticky Rice by integrating a pneumatic system with a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based automation system in order to increase production capacity, reduce labor requirements, and improve product consistency. The prototype machine was designed with a mold-forming mechanism capable of forming three pieces per operating cycle and integrated with automatic black bean feeding and conveyor systems. A Design of Experiment (DOE) approach was employed to investigate the effects of compression force, forming time, and conveyor speed on product quality. The response variables included product density, defect rate, shape uniformity, and production capacity. Experimental results revealed that the optimal compression force ranged between 140–150 N, resulting in the highest percentage of acceptable products at 97–98 percent The developed system achieved an average production capacity of 800–850 pieces per hour, or more than 6,400 pieces per day, with a defect rate lower than 5 percent. Furthermore, the automated production line reduced labor requirements by more than 60percent compared with the conventional manual process. The findings demonstrate that the developed automatic mold-forming machine has strong potential for practical implementation in traditional food industries and can significantly enhance production efficiency and support the transformation toward smart food manufacturing systems.

Application of Lean Principles for Energy Waste Reduction in Refrigeration Systems: A Case study of the Metal Can Coating Production Process

2026-06-11T11:47:20+07:00

This research aims to analyze the causes of energy waste in a refrigeration system (chiller) used in the metal can coating production process at a packaging manufacturing company. The chiller system was identified as the highest energy–consuming system in the production process, with an average electricity consumption of 16,042 kWh per month. The study identified two primary causes of energy waste: operating the system in standby mode and setting the chilled water temperature below the requirement, resulting in excessive energy consumption (over–supply). Based on these findings, four improvement measures were implemented: (1) increasing the chilled water temperature from 10 °C to 14 °C to better match the actual cooling load, (2) reducing the number of operating compressors from three units to two units, (3) establishing standard operating procedures (SOP), work instructions (WI), and user training programs, and (4) installing an Internet of Things (IoT) system to measure and monitor energy consumption in real time. The implementation results during January–March 2026 showed that the average electricity consumption decreased to 12,085 kWh per month, representing a reduction of 24.6%, without affecting the quality of the coating product. This resulted in an estimated annual energy cost saving of approximately 227,923 THB. In addition, employees became more involved in promoting efficient energy use practices.

A Study on the Effects of 3D Scanning Parameters on Dimensional Measurement Errors of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Workpieces

2026-06-15T10:37:14+07:00

This study aims to investigate the effects of three–dimensional (3D) scanning parameters on dimensional measurement errors of aluminum alloy AA6063 components, with results compared against a contact–type coordinate measuring machine (CMM) arm. The scanning parameters examined include resolution values of 0.2, 0.6, and 1.0 mm, and shutter time values of 2, 5, and 8 ms. The relationships between these parameters and measurement error were analyzed using linear regression analysis. The experimental results demonstrate that resolution has a statistically significant effect on dimensional error (p = 0.010), with increasing resolution values leading to increased measurement errors. Conversely, shutter time shows no statistically significant influence on measurement error (p = 0.221) at a significance level of 0.05. The lack–of–fit test yields a p–value of 0.764, confirming that the developed regression model is adequate and reliable for describing the relationship between scanning parameters and measurement error. Pareto chart analysis confirms that resolution is the dominant factor affecting 3D scanning error, whereas shutter time does not exhibit a significant effect. These findings are consistent with surface reconstruction data showing that mesh density decreases as resolution increases, resulting in geometric inaccuracies at corners, edges, and curved surfaces relative to the reference geometry. Response optimization analysis identifies the optimal parameter combination as 0.2 mm resolution and 8 ms shutter time, yielding a minimum dimensional error of approximately 0.0099 mm. Boxplot analysis reveals the distribution of measurement errors and identifies several outliers, which may be attributed to light scattering effects, environmental conditions, and surface roughness of the aluminum material. The findings of this study provide practical guidelines for determining appropriate scanning parameters for 3D scanning of aluminum AA6063 components to enhance dimensional measurement accuracy and effectiveness in reverse engineering applications.

Analysis of Part Orientation Influence on Geometric Shapes regarding Support Structure Formation and Printing Efficiency in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

2026-06-11T12:16:55+07:00

This research aims to examine the influence of part orientation on support structure formation and printing efficiency in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). Experimental tests were conducted on six geometric shapes: a triangular prism, a pyramid, a cube, a pentagonal prism, a cone, and a sphere. The positioning angles ranged from 0° to 90° in 10° increments and were processed with UltiMaker Cura 5.10.0. The results indicate that geometric characteristics and part orientation directly affect resource consumption and printing time. Cubes and pyramids demonstrated the highest efficiency when oriented horizontally (0°), as they required no support structures, whereas spheres exhibited high sensitivity and generated the most support material. For the triangular prism, pentagonal prism, and cone, a critical threshold for triggering automatic support–structure formation was observed at angles exceeding 45° from the vertical axis. This consequence led to increased consumption of support material and longer printing times than in the horizontal orientation. These quantitative findings can serve as practical guidelines for Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) to minimize production costs and promote sustainable manufacturing in the future.

Reducing the Time Required for Surface Finishing in the Powder Metallurgy Industry

2026-06-12T15:43:08+07:00

This study proposes to establish an optimal standard time for surface finishing of metal workpieces using the powder metallurgy process by a vibrating polisher with ceramic abrasive materials. This addresses the problem of the lack of clear time standards for the deburring and surface finishing steps, where employees typically set times based on experience and feedback from previous workers, averaging 60 minutes per cycle. This results in higher production costs and unnecessary energy waste. The experiment showed that the standard polishing time could be reduced from 60 minutes to just 50 minutes, or approximately 16.67%, while the resulting surface quality, free of sharp burrs and smooth, passed the customer's standards requirements.

Thermal Spray Coating Enhancing the Wear Resistance Performance of High–Speed Components by Using Thermal Spray Coating Technique

2026-06-18T07:46:40+07:00

This research project aimed to investigate the enhancement of wear resistance in high–speed mechanical components through the application of Thermal Spray Coating technology to extend service life and improve engineering performance. The substrate material used in this study was Aluminum Alloy 6061, which is widely employed in industrial applications due to its lightweight characteristics, excellent mechanical strength, and good machinability. A Ni₉₅Al₅ alloy wire was employed as the bond coat to enhance the adhesion between the substrate and the coating layer, while WC₁₀Co₄Cr was applied as the top coat to improve surface hardness and wear resistance. The coating process consisted of depositing the bond coat using the Wire Arc Spray technique, followed by the application of the top coat using the High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) spraying process. This combination of coating techniques is capable of producing a dense coating layer with excellent adhesion to the substrate. After the coating process, the microstructure of the coating layer was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The coating thickness was measured, and the surface hardness was evaluated to determine the mechanical properties and overall coating quality. The experimental results revealed that the Ni₉₅Al₅/WC₁₀Co₄Cr coating system significantly increased the surface hardness of the Aluminum Alloy 6061 substrate, thereby enhancing its wear resistance and making it suitable for engineering components operating under severe frictional and high–speed conditions. Furthermore, microstructural analysis demonstrated that the coating exhibited good adhesion to the substrate, a continuous coating structure throughout the sprayed area, and a relatively uniform distribution of coating particles. These findings indicate that the selected thermal spray processes are effective in producing high–quality protective coatings with considerable potential for industrial applications requiring improved surface durability and wear performance.