Orthopedic bone plates necessitate high mechanical strength, accurate dimension compliance, and adaptability to patient-specific geometries. Traditional metallic implants offer superior mechanical performance, yet are expensive to manufacture, waste material in production and have limitations in their flexibility for design geometry modification. Additive manufacturing, especially fused deposition modeling (FDM), could provide an alternative for the fabrication of complex biomedical geometries with thermoplastic materials; however, mechanical performance and dimensional accuracy of FDM-fabricated bone plates are still very much dependent on optimization of process parameters. In this work, a systematic Taguchi-based optimization of the key Fused Deposition Model (FDM) parameters for the fabrication of an orthopedic 4.5 mm reverse-engineered T-plate prototype is reported. Eighteen experimental runs were solidified at different build orientation, infill pattern, layer height, and line width to evaluate manufacturing time, dimensional accuracy and bending stiffness. The outcomes show that infill pattern and build orientation have a significant impact on bending stiffness while layer height and line width influence geometric fidelity and throughput. The best combination of parameters was Y-oriented deposition, 0.10 mm layer height, 0.50 mm line width, concentric infill as it delivered the best structural stiffness-to-dimensional precision ratio. While the PLA prototype features a stiffness, which is not in line with any clinical load bearing requirements, the established trends in stiffness provide a statistically validated basis for optimization within orthopedic plate prototyping. The framework proposed here opens a pathway allowing the new approach to be transferred toward high-performance biomedical polymers or metallic additive manufacturing systems in future translation work. Schematic overview of optimizing Fused Deposition Modelling parameters for customized 4.5 mm orthopedic T-plates. The study compares FDM additive manufacturing to traditional metal implants, using a Taguchi orthogonal array to assess build orientation, infill pattern, layer height, and line width. Optimal settings balance higher bending stiffness, improved dimensional accuracy, and lower stress shielding risk for patient-specific implants.
The rapid growth of electric vehicles presents a major decarbonization opportunity, yet environmental benefits depend on sustainable end-of-life battery management. This study identifies and analyzes critical success factors (CSFs) for second-life EV battery supply chains using an innovative sequential framework integrating Best-Worst Method (BWM), DEMATEL, and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Unlike single-method approaches, our framework first applies BWM to derive robust CSF importance weights, then employs DEMATEL to map causal interdependencies and distinguish driving from dependent factors, and finally integrates these outputs into a modified FMEA that prioritizes operational failure modes based on strategic importance and systemic influence. Expert judgments from industry and academia were synthesized. Results reveal accurate state-of-health diagnostics, regulatory compliance, and proactive safety management as the most critical causal drivers. High-priority failure modes include incorrect battery assessment and thermal hazards, which risk operational safety and net carbon savings. Decarbonization is not automatic but depends on mitigating interconnected risks through robust governance. By linking strategic CSF weights and causal structures to operational risk priorities, this framework provides a holistic, risk-informed decision-support tool for managers and policymakers to de-risk investment and accelerate circular, low-carbon battery ecosystems.
Hydrogen is pivotal for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, yet its supply chains face complex, interdependent risks that can undermine environmental and operational goals. This study aims to evaluate and structurally model these systemic risks to inform resilient and low-carbon hydrogen deployment. An integrated FMEA-ISM-MICMAC framework is employed, first prioritizing risks via Failure Mode and Effects Analysis and then mapping their causal hierarchies using Interpretive Structural Modeling and MICMAC classification. The analysis identifies insufficient production infrastructure, technological immaturity, and regulatory uncertainty as independent driver risks with high systemic influence. These foundational constraints propagate instability through linkage variables like supply-demand imbalance, ultimately causing dependent operational failures. The findings reveal that system vulnerability stems not from isolated events but from upstream institutional misalignment. Consequently, effective governance must shift from reactive mitigation to proactive intervention at these strategic root causes. This research contributes a validated, systems-based framework that prioritizes strategic leverage points for policymakers and practitioners to enhance the resilience and sustainability of emerging hydrogen economies.
Pharmaceutical residues in wastewater constitute an emerging environmental threat due to their persistence, bioactivity, and accumulation potential in aquatic ecosystems. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have demonstrated high efficacy in removing these contaminants by producing superior effluent quality and retaining micropollutants. Nevertheless, membrane fouling—intensified by pharmaceutical-induced production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products—remains the principal limitation to large-scale application. This review critically evaluates recent advances in MBR and integrated fixed-film activated sludge membrane bioreactor (IFAS-MBR) systems for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. Emphasis is placed on the effects of pharmaceuticals on biomass characteristics, including floc morphology and EPS composition, and on comparative fouling behaviors in conventional and hybrid systems. IFAS-MBRs exhibit enhanced biomass retention, stability, and contaminant removal, often mitigating fouling. Various fouling control strategies are reviewed, encompassing advanced oxidation processes, adsorbent incorporation (activated carbon, biochar), quorum-quenching bioaugmentation, and antifouling membrane design using nanocomposites or superhydrophilic coatings. Additionally, microbial community adaptation is examined concerning degradation performance and fouling dynamics. The review concludes by identifying operational best practices and research priorities essential for optimizing MBR and IFAS-MBR configurations toward sustainable management of pharmaceutical-laden effluents.
Manufacturing supply chains are pivotal to global industrial decarbonization, yet face the dual challenge of reducing emissions while maintaining competitiveness. This study examines how Circular-Frugal Innovation (CFI), a synergistic integration of circular economy and frugal innovation principles, can be strategically leveraged for supply chain decarbonization in the Indonesian manufacturing sector. Employing an integrated ISM-MICMAC-MABAC methodology, the research first identifies 13 critical CFI enablers through literature synthesis and expert validation, then models their structural interdependencies and driving power, and finally prioritizes actionable strategic alternatives. The findings reveal a six-level hierarchical structure, identifying five independent foundational drivers: regulatory pressure, top management commitment, cross-functional collaboration, frugal-circular R D, and workforce skills. The MICMAC analysis classifies these as high-driving, low-dependence strategic levers, while the MABAC method prioritizes “Innovation Capability Development” as the most effective strategy, followed by “Operational Ecosystem Collaboration.” The results demonstrate that decarbonization is a dependent outcome of a mature CFI system, challenging isolated efficiency or compliance-based approaches. This study contributes a novel, holistic decision-support framework that integrates structural diagnosis with strategic prescription, offering managers and policymakers a validated pathway to accelerate low-carbon transitions through systemic innovation.
