The manufacturing industry is undergoing a transition from conventional manufacturing processes to process automation, with particular emphasis on factors contributing to its sustainability. Understanding the complexities of Industry 4.0 is fundamental for devising strategies that effectively address challenges and capitalize on the opportunities present in a competitive business environment. This study aims to identify and analyze the challenges influencing the implementation of Industry 4.0 in SMEs. A total of 10 key challenges were identified through extensive literature review and expert inputs. The challenges identified during implementation of Industry 4.0 in SMEs are: Device compatibility issues, Data security issues, Process-specific technology selection challenges, Data management challenges, Dynamic necessities in production, Unstable connectivity, Random practical issues, Data integration with product life cycle management, Scalability challenges, and Lack of interoperability with existing systems. The identified key challenges in Indian SMEs are analyzed to determine the significance of Industry 4.0 implementation and to explore the relationships among them. This knowledge will be instrumental in assisting practitioners in navigating the complexities of Industry 4.0 implementation in SMEs using the Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) and Matrice d’Impacts Croisées Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) methods. The study results revealed that two challenges — namely, device compatibility and interoperability with existing systems — are highly impactful in Indian SMEs. This model was further validated through structural equation modeling, satisfying the criteria of goodness-of-fit indices. This study also offers insights into the significant benefits of Industry 4.0 in addressing contemporary challenges in SMEs and to provide a comprehensive analysis of the challenges that drive its successful implementation within the manufacturing sector, particularly with an emphasis on sustainability including technological, organizational, regulatory, economic, environmental, and social dimensions.
Bioinspired design, inspired by nature’s time-tested principles, has become a transformative approach in engineering and allows the development of innovative solutions by mimicking the efficient structures and mechanisms found in biological systems. Integrating with additive manufacturing (AM), bioinspired design facilitates the creation of complex, multi-material, and multifunctional structures that offer superior performance compared to traditional manufacturing methods. This review delves into the synergies between bioinspired design and AM, emphasizing how natural concepts, such as Bouligand-like structures, nacre-inspired composites, hierarchical architectures etc., are utilized to enhance material properties like toughness, fracture resistance, and energy dissipation which is crucial to the field of 3D printing. These advancements have led to breakthroughs in aerospace, biomedical engineering, and environmental technologies, including lightweight and impact-resistant components, tissue scaffolds for regenerative medicine, self-cleaning surfaces, and anti-fouling coatings. The paper also identifies key material considerations for successful bioinspired AM, focusing on polymers, composites, hybrid materials, and nanomaterials essential for realizing these innovations. Despite the immense potential, challenges remain in replicating the multifunctionality and scalability of natural systems, especially in terms of digital modeling, multi-material printing techniques, and cost-efficiency. Looking forward, the combination of bioinspired design with advancements in generative design, artificial intelligence, and novel materials will pave the way for future innovations, offering sustainable and high-performance solutions across diverse industrial applications. This review ultimately demonstrates how the fusion of nature-inspired design principles with AM technologies can unlock innovative solutions to modern engineering challenges.
A thin, broadband frequency-selective surface (FSS)-based multilayer microwave absorber is proposed for stealth applications. The design integrates two material layers composed of e-waste-derived copper composite and ball-milled cobalt, strategically incorporated above an FSS-patterned FR-4 substrate. The FSS geometries, featuring simple square loops and cross dipoles, are optimized to achieve enhanced absorption performance while maintaining structural simplicity. The material layers are developed using ball milling (5 h) for cobalt and a blending method for the e-waste/copper composite, and their experimentally measured complex permittivity and permeability are used as inputs for full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The simulated reflection loss results demonstrate a broadband operating frequency range of 7.46 to 18 GHz with reflectivity below −10 dB, achieved with a compact total thickness of 2.3 mm. This design establishes a cost-effective and high-performance solution for advanced microwave absorption applications.
Aiming at the problems of low harvesting efficiency and high cost for leafy vegetables, a fully electric vegetable harvester was designed, which takes an electric tractor as the power source and is mainly composed of a cutting device, a reel device, a conveying device, a traveling device, a suspension device, a frame and other components, enabling the harvesting of Brassica rapa var. chinensis (seedling stage, commercially known as “Jimaocai” in Chinese) and other similar crops. On the basis of elaborating the overall structure and working principle, SolidWorks was applied to simplify the models of Brassica rapa var. chinensis and the cutting blade. The Recurdyn software was used to conduct kinematic simulation analysis on the cutting device, clarifying the movement process of the cutting blade. Meanwhile, the EDEM software was adopted to establish a discrete element simulation model for the kinematic simulation and analysis of the process of cutting vegetable stems by the cutting blade. The simulation results showed that the optimal harvesting effect was achieved when the traveling speed of the tractor was 0.691 m/s and the reciprocating cutting frequency of the cutting blade was 25.54 Hz. Considering the field operation efficiency and operational convenience, a traveling speed of 0.7 m/s was adopted in the field verification test with the reciprocating cutting frequency of the cutting blade maintained at 25 Hz. Field verification tests demonstrated that the average harvesting loss rate and the average missing cutting rate of Brassica rapa var. chinensis were 6.7% and 4.3% respectively, and the test results were basically consistent with the simulation results, meeting the design requirements of the vegetable harvester. This equipment is equipped with an ordered harvesting function, which can reduce the subsequent sorting cost, and the research results can provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent test and optimization of fully electric vegetable harvesters.
Drying is widely used in the food and agriculture industries to preserve food products and crops. Conventional dryers largely use fossil fuels, and their use is discouraged due to environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing fuel prices. Therefore, solar energy is considered as sustainable and economically viable alternative because it is free, clean, and renewable. This review focuses on the recent advancements of solar drying technology and various methodologies of solar drying processes. The study investigates many aspects, such as design considerations, installation and operation, integration of heat storage materials, nano materials performance evaluation, economic feasibility, and comparative analysis. Both experimental and simulation studies of solar dryers, with and without phase change materials (PCMs), have been reviewed to understand their impact on drying performance. The study further investigates the action of various air heating systems in enhancing drying rate. Hybrid solar dryers have the ability to provide stable and continuous drying conditions, thereby improving drying performance and food product quality. Additionally, the integration of heat storage devices and smart monitoring systems for real-time analysis have been discussed in this study. Overall, solar dryers are considered as a strong potential for sustainable applications in food processing, agro-based industries, and domestic sectors.
