The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering

ENHANCING DISTRACTED DRIVER DETECTION WITH HUMAN BODY ACTIVITY RECOGNITION USING DEEP LEARNING

Frank Zandamela, Fred Nicolls, Dumisani Kunene, Gene Stoltz — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Deep learning has become popular owing to its high accuracy and ability to learn features automatically from input data. Various approaches are proposed in the literature to detect distracted drivers. However, the performance of these algorithms is typically limited to image datasets that have a similar distribution to the training dataset, which makes it difficult to apply them in real-world scenarios. To address this issue, this paper proposes a robust approach to detecting distracted drivers, based on recognising the unique body movements involved when a driver operates a vehicle. Experimental results indicate that this method outperforms current deep learning algorithms for detecting distracted drivers, resulting in a 6% improvement in classification accuracy and a two-fold improvement in overall performance (F1 score).

THE ROLES THAT PROJECT SPONSORS PLAY AT STAGE GATES OF A PROJECT LIFE CYCLE MODEL: A CASE STUDY OF A WATER UTILITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Dexter Nhubunga, Herman Steyn, Suzaan Pretorius — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Project sponsors play significant roles at the stage gates of project life cycle models (PLCMs). However, research on the roles that sponsors play at stage gates, and the attributes required of the sponsor, are sparse. This study investigated the roles played by government and municipal sponsors at the PLCM stage gates of a water utility, and identified the attributes that the sponsor should have as well as the challenges they face. A case study approach was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with relevant stakeholders. The findings could assist the senior management of water utilities, national government departments, and municipalities when appointing suitable project sponsors.

COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF MOBILE ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS AND THEIR POTENTIAL APPLICATION AREAS IN OPERATING THEATRES

Annika Engel, Fabian Dietrich, Thorge Lackner, Imke De Kock, Daniel Palm — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Mobile assistance systems (MAS) promise to overcome personnel shortages in operating theatres worldwide. A literature review inspired by the PRISMA 2020 method determines the state of the art of MAS, and identifies a lack of application areas for MAS in the operating theatre. Interviews with subject-matter experts aim to investigate application areas for MAS. The results show that most operational tasks refer to material management and patient management. MAS, with their potential to reduce the time needed for material and patient management, and the physical and mental strain of patient management, have great potential in the operating theatre.

CHARACTERISATION OF BONE-REGENERATING SCAFFOLDS PRODUCED THROUGH LITHOGRAPHY-BASED CERAMIC MANUFACTURING

Morakane Moletsane, Willie du Preez, Deon de Beer, Shathani Nkhwa — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that builds custom-designed, three-dimensional ceramic parts layer by layer. The level of precision of the process allows for the printing of custom-made interconnected lattices and designs suitable for bone implants. This study investigated the LCM printability of various lattice structures with the hydroxyapatite (HA480) supplied by Lithoz. Different lattice structures were characterised. The microscopic structure, the composition, and the surface roughness of the test specimens were determined. To obtain the mechanical properties of the structures, compression tests were performed. The observed micropores of ±3 µm and the macropores of ±320 µm were suitable for bone cell growth. The measured microhardness of HA480 was 556±25 HV in the built direction and 559±27 HV perpendicular to the built direction. The compressive strength of the rhombic dodecahedron lattice structure was 4±0.5 MPa, and was superior to other tested lattices. From the results it was concluded that lattice structures produced through LCM have the potential to be used to produce customised bone-regenerating scaffolds.

THE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR LEAN SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION IN SMALL-AND-MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

Muhammad Talal Attar — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Lean six sigma (LSS) is an important business strategy for organisations, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Over the years, SMEs have had a potentially significant impact on various countries’ gross domestic product (GDP). The main purpose of this research is to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) for lean six sigma (LSS) implementation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s SMEs, and to contribute to discovering the factors that lead to business success, increase revenue, and enhanced competitive advantages. The study identified 29 factors from previous research in order to guide the successful implementation of LSS in the SME sector in Saudi Arabia in particular. The CSFs were refined, producing a consolidated list of 14 factors. A principal components analysis (PCA) identified four main factors: leadership support and management structure, technological capabilities, knowledge acquisition, and creativity and innovation. These factors could influence the success of SMEs in Saudi Arabia by adopting LSS in their business processes.

VARIATION ORDERS DURING EXECUTION OF CONSTRUCTION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS: CASE STUDY OF AN ELECTRICITY COMPANY

Mrs Takalani Mashamba, Dr MG Kanakana-Katumba, Professor Rendani Maladzhi — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Electricity plays a fundamental role in efforts towards sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The South African government resolved to build new power-generating plants, but the completion of these projects has been affected by different variation orders. An investigation was conducted using the compensation events and variation committee records from different stations in the SAP database to determine the trend of the variation orders that were raised during the execution of the new stations and at existing plants. The results showed that factors such as scope change, integration between packages, design errors, and expedited schedules contributed to the variation orders during the execution of the infrastructure projects.

USING TOPOLOGY OPTIMISATION TO INFLUENCE THE INFILL PLACEMENT OF FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLED PARTS

Ashley Toth, Jared Padayachee — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Additive manufacturing continues to see increased growth and adoption across various industries owing to technology improvements and increasing material options. This paper presents a method to optimise the infill structure placement in fused deposition modelling parts. The method uses finite element analysis and the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimisation technique to determine the optimal placement based on stress and validated through testing 3D-printed samples. The results show that multi-infill geometry outperforms traditional rectilinear infill in loading capacity and stiffness. The paper concludes with a real-world application, using this optimisation method on a railway-related part.

IMPLEMENTATION OF A DIGITAL TWINNING APPROACH TO IMPROVE DESIGNS OF POLYURETHANE HEART VALVES

Lebohang Masheane, Willie du Preez, Jacques Combrinck — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Young sub-Saharan African and developing-world patients with rheumatic heart valve diseases urgently require cost-effective prosthetic valves. To design cost-effective polyurethane heart valves, comprehend haemodynamic behaviour, expedite prototype development, and reduce the need for clinical testing for functional evaluation, the implementation of an experimental test digital twinning is essential. The use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) to improve heart valve replacement designs rapidly, in order to comply with the minimum requirements of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) regulations and specifications, forms the core of this study. This approach is presented, and the results are discussed. A conclusion is drawn about the valve geometric orifice area (GOA) compared with experimental tests. When the valve was fully opened, there was only an 11% difference between the computed experimental and the finite element GOA. Digital simulation revealed additional information such as the locations of stress concentrations. The FE results showed reasonable similarity with in vitro results.

SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELLING AND SIMULATION OF COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR STEEL INGOT FURNACES

Gabriel Somo, Ilesanmi Daniyan, Jan Swanepoel, Khumbulani Mpofu — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The problem that necessitated this study was that some furnaces that were responsible for the further processing of steel pipes at Company X were not connected to a programmable logic control (PLC)–Internet of Things (IoT) system. This slowed down the product flow. To address this problem, PLC-IoT systems were integrated so that the production system could be more effective. This study therefore models and simulates the integrated PLC-IoT control system, using the system dynamics modelling approach to investigate the performance of the automated gas furnaces. The PLC-IoT consists of an internal module that is used to process the data stream. After the implementation of the proposed control system, primary data was acquired by continuously evaluating the performance of the system. The research methodology used involved quantitative analysis and a simulation model using the Anylogic software. The result of the delivery and inventory of ingots from an automated system showed an upward trend with delivery and an inventory of an ingot at about 90 minutes; while a system that was not automated with PLC-IoT showed a downward trend of ingots. This shows that the introduction of the PLC-IoT for control makes the system more effective. The findings of this work could assist the manufacturers in achieving manufacturing or production efficiency, significant time savings, and better monitoring of the manufacturing process.

ASSESSING THE ROLE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SERVICE DELIVERY: THE CASE OF EKURHULENI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

Calvin Naidoo — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Local governments play an important role in the development of the livelihoods of local communities in South Africa. Local governments are responsible for the provision and delivery of basic services such as running water, proper sanitation, clean energy, waste removal, and decent housing. Public participation (PP) is arguably an essential element of local democracy through which local communities can contribute to improved service delivery. The current study focused on assessing the role of PP in service delivery in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. This was done by adopting a descriptive research design. Data on the factors affecting PP were collected from four different community groups (i.e., citizens, businesses, municipal managers, and ward committee members), using questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that information about PP is obtained via radio, television, newspapers, and mobile phones. Generally the initiatives relating to the ‘Batho Pele’ principles are acceptable in the Ekurhuleni community. Furthermore, concerning the quality of the services delivered by the municipality, the findings established that citizens agree that the municipality is aware of the service quality offered in the EMM. Although some citizens agree with the quality of the service delivery, some of them believe that the process still lacks consistency.

MONITORING FOR CRACKS IN METAL L-PBF USING GAS-BORNE ACOUSTIC EMISSION

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Delaminations and cracks are detrimental phenomena that hinder the quality of the final product in metal additive manufacturing. The effective use of other online monitoring systems that can detect these deformations and delaminations during the manufacturing process is currently being developed and implemented in practice. In this paper, gas-borne acoustic emission is used to show that cracks/delaminations that occur during the metal laser powder bed fusion build process can be detected and distinguished from other machine noise. The peaks in the amplitude of the signal emitted in the time domain could be used to indicate the occurrence of cracks during the build process. The frequency characteristics of the signal could also clearly indicate the occurrence of the macro cracks and differentiate between the signals from the cracks and the machine noise.

A FRAMEWORK FOR ASSET TRANSFERS

Anthea Patricia Amadi-Echendu — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The processes used to transfer immovable property from a seller to a buyer in South Africa are outdated and not digitised. Paper-based documents increase the risk of fraud and misrepresentation. This study considered the implementation of a cloud-based centralised database for property supply chain partners to enhance transparency, turnaround times, and security while minimising risks and costs. Digitalised property processes would result in title deeds’ dematerialisation and not merely the automation of the paper-based system. This qualitative study was exploratory, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with role-players involved with property transfers in South Africa. These included the South African Reserve Bank, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the Law Society of South Africa, mortgage originators, The Banking Association, the Department of Home Affairs, the Registrar of each Deeds Office, the Surveyor General’s office, municipalities, software companies, National Treasury, South Africa’s Central Securities Depository (Strate Ltd), and the Tshwane Mettropolitan Municipal Council.

Note from the Editor

Corne Schutte — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

“Logistics is the lifeblood of society.”

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2023 has come to an end. In the previous two years’ final editions of the journal, I commented on the disruptions of COVID and how our discipline had to adjust and adapt to make success of the journal. 2023 brought new challenges. Our electricity supply is still intermittent and causing severe damage to our economy. Severe backlogs in our harbours and rail networks are hampering the logistical flow in the country. But, with these challenges come new opportunities, and Industrial Engineers can again contribute to finding the solutions!

As mentioned at the end of 2017, it is now customary to evaluate how the journal is performing. Scopus (www.scopus.com) measures impact with a “CiteScore” and the graph in Figure 1 (extracted from Scopus on 14 December 2023) shows the trend over the last five years. The CiteScore for a year is calculated as the Citation Count for the year divided by the number of documents published in the previous three years. The Citescore for 2020 was 1.2 (measured May 2021), and the Citescore for 2022 is slightly higher at 1.4. Our ranking concerning the Percentile in the category is currently stable as a Q3 journal.

Another important source for journal standing is Scimago Journal and Country Rank (www.scimagojr.com) where this journal is also listed as a Q3 journal in the “Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering” subject area. It is very encouraging to observe how the number of citations has grown (Figure 2).

(For figures, refer to the online PDF)

Due to timing constraints, we did not include the top-rated papers from the RAPDASA conference in the 3^rd edition of the year. This edition therefore contains the top 4 rated papers from the RAPDASA conference (30 October to 2 November).

This edition has a total of 12 articles, with 11 from authors with South African connections and the balance from international authors.

If you have suggestions on how we can take this journal forward, please let me know.

Corne Schutte

Editor