[Purpose] This study investigated the variations in muscle fatigue, time to fatigue, and maximum task duration at different levels of production standard time. [Methods] Twenty subjects performed repetitive tasks at three different levels of production standard time corresponding to "normal", "hard" and "very hard". Surface electromyography was used to measure the muscle activity. [Results] The results showed that muscle activity was significantly affected by the production standard time level. Muscle activity increased twice in percentage as the production standard time shifted from hard to very hard (6.9% vs. 12.9%). The muscle activity increased over time, indicating muscle fatigue. The muscle fatigue rate increased for the harder production standard time (Hard: 0.105; Very hard: 0.115), which indicated the associated higher risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Muscle fatigue was also found to occur earlier for hard and very hard production standard times. [Conclusion] It is recommended that the maximum task duration should not exceed 5.6, 2.9, and 2.2 hours for normal, hard, and very hard production standard times, respectively, in order to maintain work performance and minimize the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Green and sustainable engineering business models have become a major topic across industries due to concerns regarding environmental issues and the decline of natural resources. Remanufacturing is showing promise as a preferable solution in terms of environmental, societal, and economic factors compared to alternatives such as repairing, reconditioning, and recycling. By considering the nature of the closed cycle loop system, this paper proposes the idea of a transitional agenda into remanufacturing. However, different countries should employ different approaches to such a transition in order to appropriately account for and integrate diverse stakeholders, perspectives, and preferences. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate prioritized elements and sub-elements in the development of a transitional decision-making framework (TDMF) in the Malaysian automotive industry by applying the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Aggregation of individual and group judgement is done for prioritised elements and their sub-elements, which are then ranked accordingly using element weights based on the acceptance of individual and group consistency index values.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of energy expenditure rate on work productivity performance at different levels of production standard time. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty industrial workers performed repetitive tasks at three different levels of production standard time, normal, hard, and very hard. Work productivity and energy expenditure rate were recorded during the experimental tasks. [Results] The work productivity target was not attainable for the hard and very hard production standard times. This was attributed to the energy expenditure rate, which increased as the level of production standard time became harder. The percentage change in energy expenditure rate for the very hard level (32.5%) relative to the normal level was twice that of the hard level (15.5%), indicating a higher risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders for the harder production standard time. The energy expenditure rate for the very hard production standard time (1.36 kcal/min) was found to exceed the maximum energy expenditure rate recommended for light repetitive tasks involving both arms (1.2 kcal/min). [Conclusion] The present study shows that working with an energy expenditure rate that is either equal to or above the maximum energy expenditure rate of the tasks results in decreased work productivity performance due to the onset of physical fatigue and a higher risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Rheological behaviour is an important factor affecting the flow behaviour of a fluid and many aspects related to this, mainly in the manufacturing process of fiber reinforced composites, either for Newtonian fluids or non-Newtonian fluids. During impregnation process, the viscosity changes with temperatures and their strain rate, has influenced the resin flow behaviour during curing process. In this paper, a review on the rheological studies of fiber reinforced composites for both, synthetic and natural based fibers, respectively, are presented. In addition to that, this review paper highlighting a few research studies conducted in literature on the main factors that affecting the rheological quality and performance of the composites. The aims of this review, mainly to capture the trend ranging from the recent five years back and summarize the various studies via experimental, theoretical or modelling works. Furthermore, also aiming to provide an ideal baseline information in the selection of the methods regarding rheological study to ensure better quality of pre-preg product and fibre reinforced composites can be produced in the author’s future work.

Response time is an important factor in fire operations. A continuous assessment of response time is crucial in order to monitor firefighters’ performance level. An initial assessment of fire response time was conducted for fire stations in categories A-D throughout Malaysia from 2018 to 2020. The categories were determined based on risk profiling scores. In this study, the mean response time and distance travelled for the selected fire stations were calculated. To measure the fire station’s performance, a 10 min standard response time was used as a benchmark. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also applied to statistically determine any significant differences between mean response time and mean distance travelled. Among the four categories, category C and D fire stations recorded high values for mean distance travelled and mean response time. Category C fire stations recorded the mean response time, at 15.1 min, and distance travelled, 20.1 km. The areas where category D fire stations are located have low population density, resulting in greater coverage for the stations. Most of the fire stations in this category had approximately 13.8 km travel distance with a mean response time of 17.9 min. Category C and D fire stations require a substantial amount of time to reach incident locations due to the low-quality road network and the local topography. A new profiling method for minimizing fire risk based on constant development in these areas might be necessary for future improvement. Additionally, new category C and D fire stations would meet the demands of expanding communities. It is important to note that establishing a demand zone in Malaysia with specific response time could give a better indication of firefighters’ performance in the future.

Proficiency in English has become the standard language in the international aviation industry. To avoid accidents, all aviation personnel needs to communicate in English. The communication skills of aviation personnel should be developed during their studies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate aviation students' successes and challenges in learning and using English. Six aircraft maintenance students from three different aviation schools in Malaysia participated in the study. Using a qualitative research design, the study collected information from open-ended interviews and document analysis gathered from online postings. The data were analyzed thematically and managed using ATLAS. ti software. Overall, the results showed that students experienced more successes than challenges in learning English. There were three themes categorized under successes and challenges: opportunities, feelings, and progress. The results could help course module developers and language teachers create modules that meet the needs of aviation students.