Product development improving

Prototyping basically provides a 3-D model suitable for use in the preliminary evaluation of form, design, performance, and material processing of products, molds, dies, etc. When properly used this automatic/fast system can accelerate product development, improve product quality, and time to the market for a product. 

However, BASF developed a two-step process (25). After methyl formate [107-31-3] became available in satisfactory yields at high pressure and low temperatures, its conversion to formamide by reaction with ammonia gave a product of improved quaUty and yield in comparison with the earlier direct synthesis. 

The uses of spunbonded fabrics as coverstock in diapers and other personal absorbent devices will most likely remain unchallenged for the near term. Virtually any other nonwoven production method appears to be at a cost disadvantage opposite spunbonded polypropylene. There have been composite products developed from meltblown and spunbonded combinations, where areas of either improved hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity are desired. These products can be produced on-line at relatively low additional cost and offer high value to diaper manufacturers. Any competitive threat is likely to come from advances in film technology such as large improvements in perforated film used in segments of absorbent product appHcations, particularly sanitary napkins. 

The most innovative photohalogenation technology developed in the latter twentieth century is that for purposes of photochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). More highly chlorinated products of improved thermal stabiUty, fire resistance, and rigidity are obtained. In production, the stepwise chlorination may be effected in Hquid chlorine which serves both as solvent for the polymer and reagent (46). A soHd-state process has also been devised in which a bed of microparticulate PVC is fluidized with CI2 gas and simultaneously irradiated (47). In both cases the reaction proceeds, counterintuitively, to introduce Cl exclusively at unchlorinated carbon atoms on the polymer backbone. 

Do we have a quaUty process for rapid product development and market penetration Do we have a stream of product improvements Are we develop-ing common platforms for families of products (37) Are we developing improved processes concurrently with our new products How do we maintain our manufacturing processes at world-class levels (Fig. 5) (38) ... 

Alternatively, some subunit viral vaccines can be generated by rDNA techniques and expressed in a continuous ceU line or insect ceUs. Recent advances in bioreactor design and operation have improved the successful production of IPV in large-scale bioreactors. However, roUer bottles or flasks are stiU used for most current vaccine production. Development of insect ceU culture will allow for very large-scale Hquid suspension culture (143). Several vaccine candidates such as gpl60 for HIV and gD protein for herpes have been demonstrated in the insect ceU culture system. However, no vaccine has been approved for human use. 

Although carbon electrode production has been regarded as a mature business, the steady growth in demand and the need for improved electrodes has prompted ongoing development efforts in these areas (/) cost containment through raw material substitutions and process improvements (2) higher purity electrodes for those processes such as siUcon production (J) improvements in thermal shock resistance to enhance electrode performance and (4) better joining systems for prebakes. 

Soybean Protein Isolates. Soybean protein isolates, having a protein content of >90 wt%, are the only vegetable proteins that are widely used in imitation dairy products (1). Most isolates are derived from isoelectric precipitation, so that the soybean protein isolates have properties that are similar to those of casein. They are insoluble at thek isoelectric point, have a relatively high proportion of hydrophobic amino acid residues, and are calcium-sensitive. They differ from casein in that they are heat-denaturable and thus heat-labile. The proteins have relatively good nutritional properties and have been increasingly used as a principal source of protein. A main deterrent to use has been the beany flavor associated with the product. Use is expected to increase in part because of lower cost as compared to caseinates. There has been much research to develop improved soybean protein isolates. 

Improperly set tolerances and uncontrolled variation are one of the greatest causes of defects, scrap, rework, warranty returns, increased product development cycle time, work flow disruption and the need for inspection (Gerth and Hancock, 1995). If manufacturing processes did not exhibit variation, quality problems would not arise, therefore reducing the effects of variability at the design stage, in a cost-effective way, improves product quality (Bergman, 1992 Kehoe, 1996). 

Typically, fixing errors and redesign account for around 30% of product development time, as shown in Figure 5.3, and improving this position provides an opportunity for lead time reduction. This means doing more work early in the process when (Parker, 1997) ... 

To improve customer satisfaction and business competitiveness, companies need to reduce the levels of non-conformance and attendant failure costs associated with poor product design and development. Attention needs to be focused on the quality and reliability of the design as early as possible in the product development process. This can be achieved by understanding the potential for variability in design parameters and the likely failure consequences in order to reduce the overall risk. The effective use of tools and techniques for designing for quality and reliability can provide this necessary understanding to reduce failure costs. 

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. 

Whereas Freeman and Lewis reported the first comprehensive analysis of hydroxymethylation of phenol, they were not the last to study this system. A number of reports issued since their work have confirmed the general trends that they discovered while differing in some of the relative rates observed [80,84-99], Gardziella et al. have summarized a number of these reports ([18], pp. 29-35). In addition to providing new data under a variety of conditions, the other studies have improved on the accuracy of Freeman and Lewis, provided activation parameters, and added new methodologies for measuring product development [97-99],... 

Although the present results are only theoretical and not yet verified by experiments, it is felt that this approach, although very much simplified with respect to practice, can be used at least as a qualitative guideline in choosing new experiments for product development. These results are therefore useful in a qualitative sense to show sensitivites, trends and directions. Experimental verification may improve the applicability to (semi-)quantitative predictions, or indicate shortcomings in the present approach, which may be accordingly adjusted. 

Many academic texts are available to teach chemists the fundamental tools of their trade, but few books are designed to give future industrial research and development chemists the knowledge they need to contribute, with confidence and relevance, to the development of new environmentally benign chemical technology. This book aims to be a handbook for those chemists attempting to develop new processes and products for the twenty-first century, which meet the evermore stringent demands of a society that wants new products with improved performance, and with a lower financial and environmental price tag. 

The cost price of a bulk chemical is determined primarily by the cost of raw materials, which could represent > 80% of the total costs. Process development/improvement in bulk chemicals is, hence, focused on decreasing these variable costs, e.g. for a product with a volume of 100,000 tpa and a raw materials quote of 2/kg, 1% increase in yield corresponds to savings of 2 million per annum. In fine chemicals, in contrast, emphasis is placed on the reduction of fixed costs, which are relatively high, by process simplification. For example, for a product with a volume of 100 tpa and fixed costs of 40/kg, if the volume yield (amount produced per unit reactor volume) is doubled, this corresponds to savings of 2 million per annum. 

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