Costs case studies

Case Study Cost Optimization with the Use of a Hooke s Joint on a Biair Muiti Rope Hoist (Mopani Deeps Project)... 

Case study 3 materials sei ction to minimise cost of a beam of given... 

The case studies that follow have mainly come from live product development projects in industry. Whilst not all case studies require the methodology to predict an absolute capability, a common way of applying CA is by evaluating and comparing a number of design schemes and selecting the one with the most acceptable performance measure, either estimated Cp, assembly risk or failure cost. In some cases, commercial confidence precludes the inclusion of detailed drawings of the components used in the analyses. CA has been used in industry in a number of different ways. Some of these are discussed below ... 

The use of CA has proved to be beneficial for companies introducing a new product, when an opportunity exists to use new processes/technologies or when design rules are not widely known. Design conformance problems can be systematically addressed, with potential benefits, including reduced failure costs, shorter product development times and improved supplier dialogue. A number of detailed case studies are used to demonstrate its application at many different levels. 

It should be emphasized, however, that pollution prevention techniques are, nevertheless, often more cost-effective than pollution reduction through end-of-pipe treatment technologies. A case study based on the Amoco/EPA joint study claimed that the same pollution reduction currently realized through end-of-pipe regulatory requirements at the Amoco facility could be achieved at 15% of the current costs using pollution prevention techniques. 

Table 5. Overall Investment and Operating Cost for Design Case Study.

Table 6.Unit Cost Details for Design Case Study. Note Usage is expressed per rrt produced water, and Cost is in U.S. per tt produced).

The objective of this case study is to use heat integration via the pinch diagram to reduce this operating cost. A value of Ar" " = 10 K. 

The objective of this case study is to synthesize a CHARMEN which has a minimum operating cost (cost of MSAs + cost of cooling utilities). 

The objective of this case study is identify a cost-effective solution that can reduce the ammonia content of the feed to the incinerator to 0.07 wt%. 

Cost Indices In some cases, the cost of a piece of equipment is available from a previous study, and it is desirable to evaluate its present cost. Because of inflation and other economic changes, it is necessary to correlate equipment cost as a function of time. In this regard, cost indices are useful tools. A cost index is an indicator of how equipment cost varies over time. The ratio of cost indices at two different times provides an estimate for the extent of equipment-cost inflation between these two times. Hence,... 

Given that there were numerous alternatives for the resources, including demand-side management, interruptible loads, and off-system purchases, many case studies were ncccssai y. Each plan for service to future loads had to be tested for conformance with system and regional reliability criteria. The plans were further examined for cost, including losses, and examined for flexibility. Any acceptable plans had to... 

An alternative cost also became apparent from the case studies. If the mean hourly steaming rate in kilograms is multiplied by 2.25, it produces a figure roughly equivalent to the annual operating costs in pounds, excluding the cost of fuel. 

These costs are now scrutinized and compared with other figures from fuel suppliers, trade associations or allied companies to identify suspected problems. Typical histories can be obtained from the Case Studies Index of the Energy Information Centre in the UK, or any similar body in other countries. 

To demonstrate the use of such a comparative cost analysis, the production of a panel was analyzed according to different processes (Fig. 9-6). In these case studies the following conditions existed (1) the panels measured 61 x 91 cm (24 x 36 in.) with the wall thickness dictated by the process and part requirements so that the weights of the panels differed (2) production was at a level of 40,000/yr. (3) the plastics for all panels were of the same type, except that different grades had to be used, based on the process requirements, so that costs changed (4) each panel received one coat of paint, except that the structural foam also had a primer coating and (5) costs were allocated as needed to those processes that required trimming and other secondary operations. 

This Section addresses cases with a continuous performance metric, y. We identify the corresponding problem statements and results, which are compared with conventional formulations and solutions. Then Taguchi loss functions are introduced as quality cost models that allow one to express a quality-related y on a continuous basis. Next we present the learning methodology used to solve the alternative problem statements and uncover a set of final solutions. The section ends with an application case study. 

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