There is an increased interest in high entropy alloys as a result of the special possibilities of improving the mechanical, physical or chemical characteristics resulting from metallic matrices made of different chemical elements added in equimolar proportions. The next step in developing new alloys is to determine the cutting conditions to optimize manufacturing prescriptions. This article presents a series of tests performed to estimate the machining behavior of the Al0.6CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy. The effects of temperature during machining, wear effects on the cutting tool, evolution of the hardness on the processed areas, cutting force components and resultant cutting force for high entropy alloy (HEA) in comparison with 304 stainless steel, scrap aspect and machined surface quality were analyzed to have an image of the HEA machinability. In terms of cutting forces, the behavior of the HEA was found to be about 59% better than that of stainless steel. XRD analysis demonstrated that the patterns are very similar for as-cast and machined surfaces. The wear effects that appear on the cutting edge faces for the tool made of rapid steel compared to carbide during HEA machining led to the conclusion that physical vapor deposition (PVD)-coated carbide inserts are suitable for the cutting of HEAs.

The paper shows the importance of designing an ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) plastic part which will be produced using FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology; it is obtained a product with the same characteristics provided by the operating guide book. Thus, this solution combines both the capacity of the designer as well as the applied technology and can produce similar or improved plastic components, at the same time maintaining the functional characteristics of the work piece. This paper is a plea for the application of 3D printing using FDM technology for manufacturing components (spare parts) out of production, because the technological systems users no longer have other solutions available for replacing outworn plastic parts. 3D printing using FDM technology is a fast option for replacing outworn components, the modeling, simulation and printing time being shorter than the purchase time of a new subassembly or assembly that has been remanufactured and modernized.

In the printing industry, where production never stops, it is very important to continuously maintain machine performance. If a machine breaks down, the production will stop and it will disturb the production process. Therefore, the maintenance system must be managed efficiently to solve those problems. The paper presents the study results on continuous quality improvement of offset printing using preventive maintenance features. Offset printing is a process that involves a multitude of variables, independent and interdependent factors. The offset printing process was analyzed and the factors that have a significant influence on the quality of the process and the products made were identified. The defects that may occur during the printing process and the causes thereof have also been identified and the types of non-conformities of the end products were estabilished. The experimental method was used. The case study was conducted on Manroland 508. For the planning of preventive maintenance activities, the duration of the maintenance works necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the offset printing machines was established. Finally, maintenance activities that would guarantee and continuously improve the quality of the printing processes and the printed products were issued.

The development of information technologies has a strong impact on manufacturing systems, and the presence of the computer allows the efficient combination of various technologies needed for manufacturing into an integrated computer-controlled manufacturing system, which has also found utility in the printing field. The paper presents the results of the analysis of prepress, press (print) and postpress processes specific to printing companies in terms of integrated computer systems that make it possible to interconnect at the enterprise level. At the same time, were defined the stages, technological operations, procedures focused on the production structure through modern information and communication technologies. These represent goals of industrialization 4.0. Thus, functional and informational models, especially for prepress, were developed. The research methods involved in the study were observational, descriptive and correlational study. The results of the study indicate their usefulness to achieve high performance when raw printing materials are transformed into finished products.

The bioeconomy is an area that encompasses more economic activities and is environmentally friendly and sustainable. Bioeconomy contributes to the economic development of a state by creating new jobs, expanding the business environment and making activities more efficient. In this context, the bioeconomy is an element of economic development that helps the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) to bridge the gap with the other countries in the west of the continent. The article aims to analyze the grouping of CEECs based on indicators specific to the bioeconomy, to highlight similarities or discrepancies between them. Moreover, we conduct this study in order to identify Romania’s position among CEECs in terms of specific bioeconomy indicators. The study is based on the European Commission’s Joint Research Center database for the bioeconomy indexes for these particular regions. We employed a hierarchical cluster method using SPSS software. The sample consisted of the 11 CEEC Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), and the period under review was between 2008 and 2019. The research indicators included turnover, number of workers, apparent labour productivity, and added value. The results show that Slovakia, Croatia and Romania form individual groups at an iteration level between 0 and 15, indicating significant discrepancies between countries in the region. The novelty of the research derives from the fact that there are no previous analyses that compare Romania’s status with other CEECs from the perspective of bioeconomy. Therefore, the paper can contribute to the implementation by the Romanian authorities of a set of measures necessary to develop the strategy dedicated to the bioeconomy based on good practices from the other CEECs.