Management and Production Engineering Review (MPER) is a peer-refereed, international, multidisciplinary journal covering a broad spectrum of topics in production engineering and management. Production engineering is a currently developing stream of science encompassing planning, design, implementation and management of production and logistic systems. Orientation towards human resources factor differentiates production engineering from other technical disciplines. The journal aims to advance the theoretical and applied knowledge of this rapidly evolving field, with a special focus on production management, organisation of production processes, management of production knowledge, computer integrated management of production flow, enterprise effectiveness, maintainability and sustainable manufacturing, productivity and organisation, forecasting, modelling and simulation, decision making systems, project management, innovation management and technology transfer, quality engineering and safety at work, supply chain optimization and logistics. Management and Production Engineering Review is published under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences Committee on Production Engineering and Polish Association for Production Management. The main purpose of Management and Production Engineering Review is to publish the results of cutting-edge research advancing the concepts, theories and implementation of novel solutions in modern manufacturing. Papers presenting original research results related to production engineering and management education are also welcomed. We welcome original papers written in English. The Journal also publishes technical briefs, discussions of previously published papers, book reviews, and editorials. Letters to the Editor-in-Chief are highly encouraged.

The article concerns modern, flexible adhesive joints, which might be used in timber construction. The article discusses the test results carried out for timber elements joints using polymeric adhesives produced by Sika®. The scope of the tests includes the analysis of strength criteria, tests of polymer adhesion to the timber with a pull-off method, tests of polymer layer shearing between timber elements as well as examination of bending of timber elements joined with polymer. The conclusions indicate the types of these polymers which are recommended for the creation of polymeric joints of timber-polymeric type in timber constructions.

Bacterial speck of tomato caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato appeared to be recently the most important disease on tomato in Poland. The genetic relationships among four Polish strains of race 0 P. syringae pv. tomato of different origin, isolated from tomato plants, were examined by RAPD and PCR-RFLP techniques. Amplification of bacterial DNA using 33 primers with RAPD technique showed, that similarity of strains expressed by the Nei-Li coefficient was very high (above 0.8). Next, the restriction analysis of amplified region ITS with the use of 5 endonucleases revealed, that profiles obtained from electrophoretic separation of DNA fragments were also very similar. On the basis of those analyses it was concluded that all strains tested constituted a closely related group. However, they showed various level of virulence as was demonstrated on the inoculated leaves of tomato plants growing in the greenhouse.

One of the most important business areas of the company is the management of working capital. Energy companies that produce electricity and heat are the main consumers of steam coal, so their decision concerning stock levels is a major determinant of supply schedules. These decisions depend on legal and technical requirements as well as economic aspects. The seasonality of coal consumption jointly with pre-purchase costs and storage costs has a straight impact on delivery scheduling in a parabolic way. There is a divergence in expectations regarding delivery schedules among the coal market participants (energy, mining, transport companies). The purpose of this article is to present the concept of pricing of steam coal and transport service on the Polish market, assuming the use of price incentives, resulting in delivery scheduling during the year. The article presents selected theoretical content in the field of coal logistics and working capital management in the company, the expectations of the steam coal market participant regarding delivery schedules have been identified. The proposed concept of pricing steam coal and transport service should be discussed further in scientific and expert work.

The aim of this paper was to test currently available on the market products for sealing anodic oxide coatings as well as to test the use of other alternative substances improving the sealing process. The ability to seal in 10 different solutions and the quality of the seal has been tested. The influence of the applied preparations on corrosion resistance and resistance to strongly alkaline environment was also investigated.

Based on the results obtained, satisfactory results were archived for the sample sealed in a IMN-OML (Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals in Gliwice, Light Metals Division) solution sealant and in solution of nickel acetate in a medium-temperature process. Sealing by means of nickel acetate solutions is economically justified, and its use allows the process temperature to be lowered. When it comes to resistance to alkalis, samples sealed in IMN-OML sealant are the best. Commercial solutions have also achieved positive results in all tests.

The paper presents the results of the electrodeposition of nickel composite coatings reinforced with the ceramic SiC particles. A Watts type galvanic bath modified with various organic additives was used. These additives were: 2-sulfobenzoic acid imide (LSA), dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt (DSS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (THAM) and hexamethyldisilizane (HMDS). The nickel composite coating was electrodeposited on a 2xxx aluminum alloy series substrate (EN-AW 2017) with zinc interlayer. Studies concerned the effect of the applied organic additives on properties of composite coatings such as: microstructure, microhardness, adhesion to the substrate, corrosion resistance and roughness. The structure of the coatings was assessed by scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Based on the studies of zeta potential it was found that the bath modification had a significant impact on the amount of the ceramic phase embedded in metal matrix. The tests conducted in a model 0.01 M KCl solution were not fully representative of the true behavior of particles in a Watts bath.

The paper presents the results of the electrodeposition of nickel composite coatings reinforced with the nano size SiC ceramic particles. The type and size of the ceramic particles or organic additives used play a important role during electrodeposition processes. A Watts type galvanic bath with various organic additives was used. These additives were: 2-sulfobenzoic acid imide, dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt (DSS), sodium dodecyl sulfate, tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane and hexamethyldisilizane. The nickel composite coating was electrodeposited on a 2xxx aluminum alloy series substrate (EN-AW 2017) with zinc interlayer. The work concerns the determination of the impact of the change in the zeta potential of SiC nanoceramic particles used on properties of composite coatings (wear resistance, corrosion, etc.). The paper characterized the composite nickel coatings on aluminum alloy using SEM techniques, wear resistance tests by TABER method and coating adhesion to the substrate using the “scratch test” method. The corrosion resistance of coatings was also tested using electrochemical methods. The research allowed to determine the effect of SiC nanoceramic particle size on the value of the zeta potential in the model KCl solution.

Fault diagnosis techniques of electrical motors can prevent unplanned downtime and loss of money, production, and health. Various parts of the induction motor can be diagnosed: rotor, stator, rolling bearings, fan, insulation damage, and shaft. Acoustic analysis is non-invasive. Acoustic sensors are low-cost. Changes in the acoustic signal are often observed for faults in induction motors. In this paper, the authors present a fault diagnosis technique for three-phase induction motors (TPIM) using acoustic analysis. The authors analyzed acoustic signals for three conditions of the TPIM: healthy TPIM, TPIM with two broken bars, and TPIM with a faulty ring of the squirrel cage. Acoustic analysis was performed using fast Fourier transform (FFT), a new feature extraction method called MoD-7 (maxima of differences between the conditions), and deep neural networks: GoogLeNet, and ResNet-50. The results of the analysis of acoustic signals were equal to 100% for the three analyzed conditions. The proposed technique is excellent for acoustic signals. The described technique can be used for electric motor fault diagnosis applications.