This is the fifth issue of the International Journal of Performability Engineering of the year 2016. We are in the process of implementing an on-line paper management system for the journal. Once this is fully operational, it will be informed through the journal and also on the website of the journal. Till that time, authors are encouraged to submit their full research papers, case studies, review papers, short communications, book reviews, and other information such as details on conferences within the scope of the journal to any one of the Co-Editors-in-Chief by e-mail: (ijpe.xu@gmail.com or naikanijpe@gmail.com). The authors are also encouraged to submit the list of four referees with their current affiliation and contact details to accelerate the process of blind review of their paper.
This issue of the journal consists of eight technical papers and a book review.
The first paper, Biasness Correction on Maximum Likelihood Estimator using Pivotal Method for Weibull Distribution for Right Censored Situation, has proposed a pivotal method with a detailed simulation procedure to estimate the biasness correction factor for both complete data and censored data for the two-parameter Weibull distribution. Numerical examples are presented to apply the biasness correction factor to real cases for reliability evaluation.
The main objective of the second paper, Efficiency Enhancement in CNC Industry using Value Stream Mapping, Work Standardization and Line Balancing, is to consider the line balancing tool which is carried out in CNC machining chambers for balancing the workload among the workers and helping to increase the employee’s utilization. Work standardization is carried out in cycle time of process using time study, video analysis and work study tools and 153 minutes of floor to floor cycle time has been reduced by implementing the same. Simulation using Arena packages was carried out for finding out the amount of productivity improvement in process by eliminating non value added activities.
The third paper, Soft Error Rate Assessment Studies of Space borne Computer, has highlighted the need of a systematic approach for hardening of selected design modules and allowing un-protected design modules for flight usage without compromising targeted availability requirement of Space borne computer (SBC). A methodology is presented for estimation of the soft error rate (SER), hardening of selected logic blocks and assessment of availability of SBC.
The fourth paper, Cost Effectiveness of Healthcare Maintenance Policy: A New Proportional Delay Time Model, has proposed establishment of a relationship in an improved delay time framework taking into account the influence of the utilization rate and maintenance effectiveness on the system’s degradation. A complete framework, for cost and availability estimation is presented. To illustrate the model capabilities, a real case study from the healthcare domain is presented. The model parameters are estimated entirely using the collected maintenance data. Then, the optimal maintenance policy is determined by a multi-objective optimization to achieve the desired cost effectiveness.
The fifth paper, A New Audio Steganography with Enhanced Security based on Location Selection Scheme, has displayed a plan for computerized sound steganography where the bits of a mystery message are installed into the coefficients of a spread sound. Every mystery bit is implanted into the chose position of a spread coefficient. The authors claim that this plan gives high sound quality, vigor and lossless recuperation from the spread Audio.
The sixth paper, Design Verification and Experimental Analysis on Industrial Cleaner for Fluffs Collection, has presented various aspects of design and experimental investigation of fluffs collection in the cleaner in order to optimize the centralized waste collection system. CFD results of the cleaner are validated by the experimental results from both standard and actual working experimental setup. Finally, performance results of analytical and experimental in both standard and actual working results were compared.
The objective of the seventh paper, Reliability Estimation of Non-rotating ropes Based on Cumulative Damage, is to interpret the non-rotating rope’s residual strength in the quantitative sense, using an analytical model which enables us to track and to estimate the rope’s reliability in terms of its strands’ cumulative damage. A numerical application is also presented to show the performance of the model.
The eighth paper, Performability Assessment of Standalone Photovoltaic Residential Systems, has presented reliability and performability analyses of A SAP system taking into consideration system components failure, mean monthly values of solar radiation and mean daily distribution of solar radiation. Continuous Time Markov Chains (CTMC) is used to calculate the system’s reliability. Subsequently, performability indicators, in particular Loss of Energy Expectation (LOEE) and Loss of Load Expectation (LOLE), are extracted with the use of publicly available solar radiation data. The model is applied for a small residential off-grid solar system situated in Nea Kallikrateia, Greece, and the results are discussed.
This issue also consists of a book review. The book reviewed is “Design for Six Sigma: A Practical Approach through Innovation”, Published by CRC Press (2017). This book is authored by Elizabeth A. Cudney and Tina Kanti Agustiady.
I hope that the papers in this issue will be informative to the readers and motivate to do more research in new directions. Suggestions to further improve the journal are most welcome.

Two-parameter Weibull distribution is widely used in reliability engineering. Maximum likelihood Estimation (MLE) is a classical approach to estimate the parameters. It has been well-known the MLE estimator is biased. For the small sample size and highly censored situation, the biasness is serious and it is necessary to be corrected. Considering the special structure of the first derivative of the likelihood function to its parameters, a state of art of pivotal method can be used, as it has found the ratio of the estimator for shape parameter to its true parameter is independent on the observed time to failure. This paper elaborates the pivotal method and provides a detailed simulation procedure to estimate the biasness correction factor for both complete data and censored data. Numerical examples are presented to apply the biasness correction factor to real cases for reliability evaluation.

In the current 21st century, increasing demand in global markets leads to requirement of high variety of products with reduced manufacturing cost, lesser lead time and perfect quality forcing manufacturing industries to adapt lean concepts since it has proven to be the best manufacturing system. Productivity is a key force and innovation is energy to run and develop an organization well mannered. Lean manufacturing is a production strategy for organizational effectiveness focusing on waste reduction and improving productivity through application of various lean tools. The requirement of lean manufacturing is high due to waste and periodic increase in the cost of manufacturing goods. Value stream mapping is one of the key lean tools used to identify the percentage of value added, non-value added and lead time in processes. Work standardization is important in all manufacturing sectors, which will give better work procedure, manufacturing flow and solution for variability during production. The main objective of this research is to consider the line balancing tool which is carried out in CNC machining chambers for balancing the workload among the workers and helping to increase the employee’s utilization. Work standardization is carried out in cycle time of process using time study, video analysis and work study tools and 153 minutes of floor to floor cycle time has been reduced by implementing the same. Simulation using Arena packages was carried out for finding out the amount of productivity improvement in process by eliminating non value added activities.

Space borne computer (SBC), critical system of a spacecraft, comprises of CMOS Microprocessor, FPGA and memories. These devices are sensitive to single event upset (SEU) when exposed to space radiation environment and occurrence of SEU in on-board computer may hamper the spacecraft operations and affects the availability. Design hardening techniques such as triple modular redundancy (TMR), error detection and correction (EDAC), scrubbing is generally employed in the SBC to mitigate the SEU effect on system performance and soft error rate (SER). Many times hardening of whole design of SBC against SEU may not be possible due to various reasons. Therefore, a systematic approach is needed for hardening of selected design modules and allowing un-protected design modules for flight usage without compromising targeted availability requirement of SBC. Paper present methodology for soft error rate (SER) estimation, hardening of selected logic blocks and assessment of availability of SBC.

Most of healthcare organizations merely follow manufacturer’s recommendations and do not profit from maintenance excellence. There is so an increasing interest in improving current maintenance policy in healthcare domain, taking advantages of dependability analysis and evidence based maintenance. In effect, the evolution of medical devices safety depends on the evolution of their components reliability and availability, which in turn is a function of their maintenance effectiveness and working conditions. In this paper, we establish this relationship in an improved delay time framework taking into account the influence of the utilization rate and maintenance effectiveness on the system’s degradation. A complete framework, for cost and availability estimation is given. To illustrate the model capabilities, a real case study from the healthcare domain is presented, the model parameters are estimated entirely using the collected maintenance data. Then, the optimal maintenance policy is determined by a multi-objective optimization to achieve the desired cost effectiveness.

Today's huge interest of web applications obliges information to be transmitted in a protected way. Information transmission in broad daylight correspondence framework is not secure on account of capture attempt and uncalled for control by busybody. So the alluring answer for this issue is Steganography, which is the craftsmanship and exploration of composing shrouded messages in a manner that nobody, aside from the sender and plan beneficiary, associates the presence with the message, a type of security through lack of definition. Sound steganography is the plan of concealing the presence of mystery data by hiding it into another medium, for example, sound document. In this paper another plan for computerized sound steganography is displayed where the bits of a mystery message are installed into the coefficients of a spread sound. Every mystery bit is implanted into the chose position of a spread coefficient. The position for insertion of a mystery bit is chosen from the 0th (Least Significant Bit) to seventh LSB taking into account the upper three MSB (Most Significant Bit). Additionally to enhance the security, we had utilized GSM module at collector end. While extricating information at beneficiary end, you need to enter the key, which you had utilized for information concealing procedure. On the off chance that client given any wrong key then consequently we are sending message to approved client as (Someone is attempting to hack your information). This plan gives high sound quality, vigor and lossless recuperation from the spread Audio.

Industrial cleaners play an important role in the collection of fluffs for centralized waste collection system. Therefore, it has become necessary to find out the design verification and experimental analysis of fluffs collection in actual working condition. This paper deals with the design and experimental investigation of fluffs collection in the cleaner in order to optimize the centralized waste collection system. CFD results of the cleaner were validated by the experimental results from both standard and actual working experimental setup. Finally, performance results of analytical and experimental in both standard and actual working results were compared. It was observed that the volume of fluffs collection at each discharge of the cleaner was 9.7g and the power consumption was 1.682 kW.

Steel wire ropes consist of several steel wires twisted together to make complex structure with huge mechanical properties combining axial strength and stiffness with bending flexibility. The use of these ropes has known tremendous growth and has had significant effect on several industrial applications. Particularly, non-rotating wire ropes, which prevent the rotation of the suspended load under important hoisting heights. Industrial experience shows that the sudden breaking of a large part of steel wire ropes in service is usually due to the cumulative damage of their components, which could lead to serious accidents. Therefore, wire ropes must be monitored during their operation so as to be able of changing them timely. Thus, this work aims to interpret the non-rotating rope’s residual strength in the quantitative sense, using an analytical model which enables us to track and to estimate the rope’s reliability in terms of its strands’ cumulative damage. A numerical application is given to show the performance of the model.

Off-grid electrification is an alternative solution in cases where connection to the public electricity grid is unviable. Reliability evaluation of such systems is critical to achieve optimal design and end-user satisfaction. A Stand-Alone Photovoltaic (SAP) system is an option for off-grid electrification. A SAP system’s reliability and performability are analyzed taking into consideration system components failure, mean monthly values of solar radiation and mean daily distribution of solar radiation. Continuous Time Markov Chains (CTMC) are used to calculate the system’s reliability. Subsequently, performability indicators, in particular Loss Of Energy Expectation (LOEE) and Loss Of Load Expectation (LOLE), are extracted with the use of solar radiation data provided publicly. We apply the model for a small residential off-grid solar system situated in Nea Kallikrateia, Greece, and discuss the results.