Engine performance and crankcase lubricant viscosity were followed with 1:2 and 1:1 fuel mixtures of degummed soybean oil in No. 2 diesel fuel in tests with a John Deere 6-cylinder, 404 cubic in. displacement, direct-injection, turbocharged engine for a total of 600 running hours. A crankcase oil contamination problem resulting in an unacceptable thickening and a potential for gelling did exist with a 50/50 blend or a greater concentration of soybean oil, but it did not occur with the 1:2 blend. The data accumulated during the initial 600 hr running time indicates that a fuel blend of one-third degurnmed soybean oil and two-thirds No. 2 diesel (1:2 blend) may be a suitable fuel for agricultural equipment during periods of diesel fuel shortages or allocations. Additional data are being accumulated and will be analyzed in the future.

Between 1988 and 1991, the market share of the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry became slightly more than 50% of retail sale costs. Previous to this period, domestic apparel manufacturers counted on increased automation to counteract decreasing market share. When this did not work, apparel manufacturers turned their attention to human resource issues as a means to improve worker retention, productivity, and product quality. Most of these management changes occurred during the past four years and are discussed in detail in this article.

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A simulation model of a Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing system using a two-card and a one-card Kanban inventory control system has been developed using the SIMAN simulation language on the IBM microcomputer. The manufacturing system consists of an assembly line with two assembly cells, one manufacturing cell, and one incoming receiving cell.