Corrugated board boxes are often used as secondary packaging to protect consumer goods during transport. In shelf ready packaging, the boxes are perforated so that the front and top of the box can be easily removed and the remainder of the box can be used to store and display the goods. The perforations however also make the box weaker and less efficient for protection. The balance between the require-ments is today found by trial and error, but could benefit from a more systematic approach. In this study, we started with one of the basic tests of corrugated board boxes, the box compression test. A reference box without perforation and three boxes with different perforation were tested. During the box compression test, a pressure sensitive film registered the distribution of load, an IR camera registered heat from dissipa-tive processes such as plasticity and fracture, and a displacement transducer was used to measure out-of-plane deflection of box panels. All boxes, independent of perforation, failed at similar compression forces, suggesting that the box compression test alone is not an adequate test for performance of the perforated boxes. It was however observed that the perforation did influence the failure of the boxes. The proximity to perforation affected where the panels failed. Analysis of displacement indicated that the perforations main-ly were loaded in compression or shear. During transport and handling, more severe loading situations for the perforations would occur which other tests can capture. Vibration tests can be used to study fatigue. Box compression tests with misaligned stacked boxes, loading of the whole box in other modes such as shear, or drop tests will all introduce complex loading were also tension and out-of-plane shear will occur. Climate tests can give effects similar to fatigue. Climate variations also has a large effect on creep.

Antalet gårdar i Sverige minskar medan deras storlek ökar för att kunna hålla verksamheten konkurrenskraftig på marknaden. En vanlig situation är att gården vill expandera snabbare än det finns tillgänglig mark nära gårdscentrum. Detta leder till att gården får längre avstånd till sin åkermark. Detta extra avstånd har en kostnad, både för gårdens lönsamhet och för miljön.

En föregående pilotstudie studerade kostnaden för transport av skörd och stallgödsel (spannmål, vall och stallgödsel). Studien visade att kostnader för transporter blir minst halverad om man byter till mark som ligger närmare gården. Denna studie studerade endast fyra gårdar, och inkluderade inte sociala aspekter.

Detta fortsättningsprojekt syftar till att få en bättre insikt i de tekniska (geografiska) och även sociala faktorer kopplade till markbyte. Den tekniska delen av projektet innebär utveckling av ett verktyg för att 1) räkna avstånd mellan gårdscentrum och fält i hela Sverige, 2) identifiera bästa matchningar för markbyte mellan gårdar, och därmed minimera avstånd mellan gårdscentrum och fält, och 3) uppskatta potentiella besparingar av drivmedel och kostnader kopplade till markbyte.

Våra resultat visar att verktyget ger ett stabilt underlag som beslutstöd. Däremot behövs mer studier för att komma överens om det bästa sättet att implementera verktyget i Sverige, särskilt angående ägarskap, affärsmodell och utveckling av nya funktioner. Den teoretiska potentialen för markbyte mellan två gårdar är uppskattad till 12,4 %.

Den sociala delen av projektet undersökte lantbrukares attityder till markbyte. I semi-strukturerade intervjuer med lantbrukare, och seminarium med andra intressenter, undersökte vi hinder, förutsättningar, samt potential för implementering av verktyget. Våra resultat visar att verktyget var positivt mottaget men att det finns fler faktorer att ta hänsyn till t.ex. jordart, odlingsmetod och förtroende.

This paper investigates Swedish recycling centres from the users perspective. The aim was to describe the characteristics and experiences of the users and their activities when sorting and disposing of waste, and to identify improvements for the users. The typical recycling centre user is a recently retired man, living in a house with a garden, having travelled 5 km alone in his own car. The users requested longer opening hours and better information available at home and at the recycling centre. The major difficulty for the users is to understand which fraction their waste belongs to, and consequently into which container they should throw it. The most important sources of sorting information, in addition to experience from earlier visits, are signs and asking the personnel. Although the service at recycling centres is perceived positively by a majority of users. substantial improvements can still be made, and a number of such suggestions are given.

Denna bok baserar sig på de forskningsresultat och erfarenheter som kommit fram inom forskningsprogrammet ”Framtidens återvinningscentral” som är ett multidiciplinärt forskningsprogram som drivits vid Linköpings universitet under åren 2002-2007.Boken vänder sig till alla som är involverade vid planering, byggnation, ombyggnation och drift av återvinningscentraler. Dessa kan vara ansvariga inom kommuner, arkitekter, konsulter, arbetsledare på återvinningscentral, skyddsombud, fackliga förtroendemän med flera.

The work presented in this report is one of three different areas of improving the efficiency of agricultural logistics that have been investigated in the project ”Energieffektivisering av Jordbrukets logistik - fördjupning och utveckling”. The three areas are, 1) Shifting of arable land (2) Planning tool for simulating, planning and optimizing logistical work on the farm (3) KPIs for logistics work at farm level to spur efficiency. All three areas are considered important parts in the work of reducing energy consumption and climate impact from agricultural transports and in food production.

More efficient agricultural logistics can be achieved through better planning and coordination of all activities throughout the production process. This improved planning then requires decision support to get a holistic grip on the interacting parts of the process. In this report, we have begun the work to investigate how farmers can make agriculture more efficient by having access to good and simple planning and simulation systems, thereby reducing energy consumption and costs at farm level.

We have made a review of which systems (for plant cultivation) that are available on the market today (with focus on the Swedish market) and identified shortcomings, gaps and needs for continued development. We have also in a case study exemplified the decisions a farmer make, and which tools are used. In the longer term, the aim is to have tools for simulation, planning and optimization of logistics for agriculture.

There are many applications for planning, control and monitoring of agriculture activities on the market, but no purely logistics planning tools. Many of the tools available on the market are de facto not decision support, but rather business support, where the user can fill in the business conditions and to some extent follow the development during the year. For the applications to provide real decision support, they need to be more intelligent by being able to analyze large amounts of data smarter, make simulations of different scenarios and make assessments on plans. Internationally, the range of programs, apps and other IT support for agriculture management is very large, but the gaps are mainly the same. However, it is not easy to apply an internationally developed tool to Swedish conditions and regulations.

I denna rapport presenteras ett av tre områden för att effektivisera jordbrukets logistik som undersökts i projektet ”Energieffektivisering av Jordbrukets logistik - fördjupning och utveckling” som har arbetat vidare på resultat från ett tidigare pilotprojekt om energieffektivisering av jordbrukets transporter. De tre områdena är, (1) skiftning av åkermark (2) planeringsverktyg för att simulera, planera och optimera logistikarbetet på gården (3) nyckeltal för logistikarbetet på gårdsnivå för att sporra till effektivisering. Alla tre bedöms som viktiga delar i arbetet med att effektivisera och minska energiåtgång och klimatpåverkan från jordbrukets transporter och i förlängningen livsmedelsproduktionen.

I denna rapport har möjligheter att effektivisera maskinanvändningen på jordbruksföretag genom att använda kartläggning och nyckeltal undersökts. Detta har gjorts genom att maskinanvändning på tre gårdar loggats. Dessa gårdar var att betrakta som medelstora gårdar med svenska mått mätt och har olika produktionsinriktningar.

Loggning genomfördes av dieselförbrukning och tidsåtgång för totalt nio maskiner på tre gårdar. Loggningsutrustningen kopplades till maskinernas CAN-bus och data laddades ner till Drivecs molntjänst via mobilt bredband. Loggning skedde också av GPS-data där maskinerna befann sig vid en viss tidpunkt och dessa refererades till olika skiften, inomgårdsområden, transportvägar och även t.ex. snöröjning eller annan entreprenadverksamhet.

Ur dessa data beräknades nyckeltal manuellt fram för dieselförbrukning och tidsåtgång per gröda, fält och aktivitet. Nyckeltalen svarade mot vad lantbrukarna efterfrågade. För att vara rättvisande och heltäckande behöver loggningen vara mer tillförlitlig och inkludera alla maskiner i växtodlingen. En slutsats var att loggning och nyckeltalsberäkning måste ske helt automatiskt för att fylla en funktion och dessutom behöver nyckeltalet ha metadata som beskriver vad det beskriver, hur det samlats in och hur representativt det är.

I projektet undersöktes också vilka möjligheter det fanns till att skicka denna information automatiskt från Drivecs system till LRF Konsults Digital Bonde och där integreras med ekonomiska data.

Ytterligare forskning behövs för att nyttiggöra resultaten från detta projekt. Det behövs också målinriktat arbete med både vidareutveckling och kunskapsspridning till jordbrukare.

Modular battery swap system for work machines

The project has developed and demonstrated how a modular battery swap system can be used in electric work machines in various industries. The purpose of the project was to demonstrate innovative technology where battery swap technology enables battery-powered machines in agriculture and forestry. The project has completed the following:

1. Designed and built a modular battery pack for work machines

2. Designed and built an automatic battery swap station

3. Completed a prototype for an autonomous electric agricultural machine

4. Electrically converted a machine for forestry

We have succeeded in creating a working battery swap concept. The concept has been shown at several different demo events. The project has received a lot of positive publicity in the media. The project creates opportunities to run work machines in agriculture and forestry without the batteries needing to be unnecessarily large, heavy and expensive to carry with the machine in the field.

Building electrified work machines is not a big deal. What is new in this project is that we demonstrate a battery replacement system for work machines - that works in real life!

The project group has worked hard together for two years and achieved brilliant results that we are very pleased with. As expected, it took some time to agree on a concept for the common component battery pack, but once it was set, work took off.

In the project, we have built seven battery packs, two electric work machines and a battery swap station including electrical system, control system and other adaptations. This would not have been possible without a dedicated and very talented project group!

All municipalities in Sweden offer their inhabitants a service for disposing of large-size and hazardous waste at local recycling centres. Opening hours at these centres include hours of darkness. The aims of this study were to 1) describe user and employee experiences of lighting and signs at Swedish recycling centres, 2) measure and assess the lighting system at the two recently built recycling centres in Linkoping and to assess the legibility and visibility of the signs used and 3) propose recommendations regarding lighting and signs for recycling centres. Interviews and questionnaires were used to assess experiences of employees and users, and light measurements were performed. By observing users, activities with different visual demands at different areas within the recycling centres were identified. Based on the literature, standards and stakeholder experiences, recommendations regarding lighting systems and sign design, illuminance, luminance and uniformity are proposed for recycling centres.

This study was conducted in order to analyse checkout cashiers’ movements at a checkout counter during interaction with customers and the prevalence of work-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders in checkout cashiers. In one shop, six cashiers were videotaped during the workday, and 50 cashiers from seven shops from the same chain of stores responded a questionnaire. Cashier activities and movements, customer interaction and counter design issues were analysed from the video data. Prevalence of work-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders was obtained from the questionnaire. It was found that 76% of all items were manually turned or angled. With a better adjustment of the scanner and a standardised positioning of the EAN-code, many of these movements could be avoided. Furthermore the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was quite high (68% for the neck). The questionnaire results showed that many cashiers experienced stress, giving a high percentage of cashiers in the “dedication under pressure” group. The behaviour of the customers was the major cause of stress. Other sources of stress arose from bad design or function of the computer system or other technical equipment. Relevance to industry: In this study several problems regarding cashier work were identified and solutions, relevant to counter and package designers, shop managers and cashiers are suggested. Data obtained on cashier movements and prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders are given.

Package design includes a number of considerations ranging from protecting the content to conveying the brand image. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding on how Swedish consumes perceive product packaging attributes, with a special emphasis on in which way packaging material (carton, paper plastic), and structural design (folding carton, paper bag, standing pouch and plastic bag), have an emotional impact on consumers' evaluation of the product and packaging. Assessing the appearance and effectiveness of a packaging system is often confounded by branding, why it is important to separate the brand influence from the attributes of the packaging system. Thus, in the experimental part, packaging prototypes of different structural design and materials were manufactured in order to present commercial cereal brands in different types of packaging. The research involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, comprising (i) focus groups on cereal (muesli) packaging; (ii) a mock-up study of four muesli packaging types: transparent plastic bag, carton box, paper bag, and a resalable stand-up plastic pouch; and (iii) a questionnaire on environmental attitudes to packaging materials. Fourteen respondents participated in the focus groups and 20 in the mock-up study. Result show that the paper bag and the carton box were perceived to be the most environmentally friendly packaging material. Heavy ink usage on paper bags and carton boxes can however raise concern regarding the environmental impact. Introducing functionality and good print quality can cause preferences to divert to an alternative packaging material. In the mock-up study the standing pouch was the most liked package type regardless of brands. Functional reasons (protect, re-closable etc.) and appearance reasons (nice print, nice colours) was claimed for giving this package high ratings.

The feeling of softness and smoothness of paper tissue products is an important performance factor in the market place. In a series of panel tests, the relationship between instrumental measurements and perceived softness and smoothness was investigated. Samples of tissue base paper – napkin and toilet paper – were evaluated for surface roughness. The samples were placed on a hard, smooth glass substrate and the respondents used one finger to stroke along the sample surface. Instrumental measurement and characterization were performed using differentinstruments: Emtec TSA and Lena Softness Tester. The results divide the base paper material into product groups, but general mathematical relationships could be found between the test panel and the measurements when normalized in different ways. Measurements using the Lena produced the best correlation with the panel ratings because its principle resembled the method of the test panel most closely. However, a general relationship usingmaterial properties was shown to produce as good an estimator for the surface roughness as the results obtained with the Lena. This relationship consisted of the ratio between the plasticity and the elasticity of the tissue paper (in-plane properties), normalized for thickness. This suggests that those three material properties are fundamental to the perception of surface roughness as evaluated in this study. Using a trained haptic panel to evaluate test samples of similar grammage with variations in furnish and machine operation settings generated a good correlation to the TSA measurement (r=0.9). The panel was more susceptible to variation in furnish than variation in peak pressure, and this was particularly evident for samples evaluated on the Yankee side.

Based on product semantics, this study investigated how the tactile attributes of wood and wood-based composites are perceived and interpreted semantically. The wood-based samples included ash, birch, elm, oak, pine, OSB (oriented strand board), two wood pulp-reinforced polylactide composites, Comp A and B and one wood-fiber reinforced polypropene composite, Comp C. The subjects rated the samples by the descriptive words natural, exclusive, eco-. friendly, rough, inexpensive, reliable, warm, modern, snug and solid. The most significant differences between the samples were found for roughness and for the descriptors, reliable, natural and solid. A principal component analysis yielded three attributes based on the tactile perceptions: reliable, old-. fashioned and smooth. The solid wood pieces were perceived as natural and oak was perceived as being exclusive. The composite materials presented a greater variation in terms of perceived attributes than the wood specimens.

Can eyetracking as a tool be used to educate new staff at a farm?

This pilot project evaluates the potential of eyetracking as a tool for training new staff on a farm in practical knowledge about animal welfare.

A basic prerequisite for economically profitable animal production is healthy animals with good growth. Detecting animals in need of extra care during rounds is a challenge when there are many animals that need to be checked in a short time. The experience of the staff is an important component, but access to qualified staff is a scarce commodity. The experience of the skilled staff is rarely written down but constitutes a tacit knowledge that is very sensitive to whether staff quit or fall ill. Hiring foreign labor is becoming more common, in which case the potential to take part in the workforce's overall competence will determine how well the new workers will succeed in their tasks.

By using technical tools such as eyetracking, you can record what a person is looking at in a certain environment. With this technology one could easily show and educate, e.g. staff, new employees, and students, what it is an experienced caretaker looks at when minding the animals. The technology makes it possible to visualize what an experienced caretaker is observing. In that way eyetracking has the potential to improve the working environment by streamlining the work of training new staff and getting everyone in the work team (experienced or not) to perform the tasks at the same high level as the most experienced.

Using product semantics, this study investigated how visual attributes of wood are perceived and interpreted semantically. The wood species alder, ash, aspen, beech, birch, elm, larch, lime, maple, oak, pine, and spruce were included. The subjects rated the samples based on the descriptive words natural, exclusive, ecofriendly, rough, inexpensive, modern, reliable, warm, cozy, solid, and light. The most significant differences in ratings were between softwoods and hardwoods. Principal component analysis yielded three dimensions based on visual perceptions: exclusive-modern, ecofriendly-natural, and light. Maple and ash and other hardwoods were seen as more exclusive and modern than spruce and pine. Pine, conversely, was perceived as the most ecofriendly-natural wood type. Beech and alder did not score high (or low) on any of the three dimensions, meaning that these gave a neutral impression. The potential use of these results in product design and interior design is discussed. 

More Digitalized Rural Businesses – The Path Forward…

This project targeted business promoters and Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), including micro-enterprises, within the green sectors (primarily agriculture and food).

The project has:

• Assessed the needs and opportunities for support for the target group micro and small enterprises in the green sectors.

• Evaluated the offerings of business promoters aimed at increasing the digital maturity of this target group.

• Highlighted experiences from digitalization in other industries and adapted a tool to digitalize SMEs in agriculture and food.

The European Union aims to accelerate the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises through a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) to enhance their competitiveness. However, how can this be best achieved for rural businesses? The project demonstrated how companies in primary production can benefit from the EDIH network.

The long-term goal of the project was to increase the digital maturity of Swedish micro and small enterprises in rural areas, contributing to increased production with robust economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Another goal was to enhance collaboration among business promotion actors to better understand how they can assist micro and small enterprises in rural areas to embrace the opportunities of digitalization

The project compared the support needs of SMEs and micro-enterprises in the green sectors in rural areas with the available support from business promoters. This comparison identified certain gaps that business promoters can address to develop and improve their offerings. The project disseminated knowledge about digitalization experiences from other industries and adapted a tool to further digitalize SMEs in agriculture and food. This tool is well-suited for use by EDIHs and has been shared with various business promoters. The project also compared the contributions of an EDIH focused on the needs of the target group with other initiatives aimed at the same group.

To keep businesses competitive in world markets, the number of farms in most countries is decreasing while farm size is increasing, and parcels making up the farm area are extremely fragmented. It is common for farms to expand faster than available arable land near the farm center, leading to longer distances between the farm center and field areas. Consequently, logistic costs increase and affect the farm's profitability and the environment. Moreover, there is often substantial overlap between different farms, which implies that it is possible for farmers to collaborate with each other. We developed and proposed three optimization models to describe different levels of collaboration and sharing restrictions. Many practical considerations need to be weighed, such as the soil type and crops used. We collected detailed information on farms, parcels, and cost drivers in seven large instances for our case study in Sweden. One instance had 1431 farms and 32,091 parcels with 96 crop types. The resulting optimization models were very large; special pre-processing and optimization techniques were developed for their solutions. The theoretical potential for collaboration in logistic cost reduction was very large, ranging from approximately 10% to 50% depending on the form of the collaboration. Because a large part of costs comes from less use of diesel for transport resources, the reduction in cost is directly related to a reduction in CO2 emissions. © 2022 The Authors. International Transactions in Operational Research