Production Systems Overview

Production Systems

• It is a collection of personnel, equipment, and procedures.
• It's organized to carry out manufacturing operations.
• Two components: Facilities, and Manufacturing Support Systems.
• Modern operations have portions that are automated and computerized.
• Systems need people to make them work.
• Direct labor people (blue-collar workers) operate the facilities.
• Professional staff (white-collar workers) run support systems.

Facilities

• Factory, machines, tooling, and material handling equipment included
• Inspection equipment along with controlling computer systems.
• Plant layout refers to the equipment's physical arrangement in the factory
• Equipment is organized into manufacturing systems.
• Manufacturing systems logically group equipment and workers.
• Manufacturing systems perform processing/assembly.
• Manufacturing systems can be individual work cells, consisting of a single production machine and a worker.
• Complex systems consist of machine collections and workers, for example, a production line.
• Categorized by human process participation: Manual, worker-machine, and automated systems.

Manual Work System

• One or more workers performing tasks without powered tools.
• Manual material handling is a common activity.
• Production tasks use hand tools like screwdrivers and hammers.
• Examples include machinists using files, inspectors using micrometers, or assembly workers using hand tools.

Worker-Machine System

• A human worker operates powered equipment.
• One of the most widely used manufacturing systems.
• Includes combinations of workers and equipment.
• Examples include machinists operating lathes, or production lines using mechanized conveyors.

Automated System

• A machine performs a process with no direct human participation.
• Implemented using programmed instructions and a control system.
• Power drives the process and runs the program/control system.
• There are two automation levels: semiautomated and fully automated.
• Semiautomated machines perform part of the cycle under program control
• Humans tend the machine for the rest (loading, unloading, etc.)
• Fully automated machines operate for extended periods with no human attention.
• "Extended period" means longer than one work cycle.
• Injection molding plants, where molding machines run on automatic cycles.

Manufacturing Support Systems

• Company must organize to design processes/equipment.
• Plan/control orders and satisfy quality requirements.
• Accomplished by support systems.
• Support systems don't contact product directly.
• They plan and control the progress within the factory.
• Support involves a sequence of activities.
• Support consists of four functions including data/information flow: Business, product design, manufacturing planning, control.

Business Functions

• These are the principal means by which the company communicates with the customer.
• The beginning and the end of the information-processing sequence.
• Includes sales, marketing, forecasting, order entry, billing.

Product Design

• Designers use process to blend user needs to help brands succeed.
• Designers optimize user experience and make products sustainable.
• Successful product design is understanding the end-user customer.
• Designers solve problems using empathy/knowledge of customer's habits, behaviors, and needs.
• Framework involves: Empathize, define the problem, ideate, prototype, test, in addition to a product development roadmap
• Types include: Design to customer, design to specifications, and excluisve design.
• To customer design means the manufacturer's product design department is not involved.
• Customer's product design may be contracted to the manufacturer's product design department.
• An exclusive product means the firm is responsible for development/design.
• Organized departments include research/development, design engineering, a prototype shop.

Manufacturing Planning

• Product design info flows into the planning function.
• Includes process planning, master scheduling, material requirements planning, capacity planning.
• Process planning determines the sequence of processing.
• Master Production Schedule: List of products, dates, and quantities to be made.
• Components/subassemblies are scheduled based on this.
• Quantities cannot be more than the factory can produce each month.
• Material Requirements Planning: Raw materials purchased or requisitioned, parts ordered, items planned.
• Capacity Planning determines resources and checks plan feasibility.

Manufacturing Control

• Manages/controls operations to implement plans.
• Information flows from planning to control.
• It also flows between manufacturing control/factory operations.
• Includes shop floor control, inventory control, quality control.
• Shop Floor Control monitors the product's progress (processing, assembly, etc.)
• Inventory Control strikes a materials balance.
• Inventory control balances the risk of too little inventory with the carrying cost of too much.
• Inventory control includes deciding quantities to order and when to reorder when stock is low.
• Quality Control ensures standards are met by the product and its components.
• Depends on factory inspection activities.
• Materials are inspected when received.
• Final inspection/testing are performed to ensure functional quality and appearance.

Automation in Production Systems

• Some components are automated, others are manual/clerical. -Separated into two categories: Automation of manufacturing systems and computerization of support systems.
• Two categories related because automated systems are usually implemented by computer systems integrated with support systems.

Automated Manufacturing Systems

• Perform processing, assembly, inspection, and material handling.
• Operations accomplished in the same system.
• Automated due to reduced human participation.
• Some systems have virtually no human participation.
• Automated systems include machine tools, transfer lines, assembly, systems using industrial robots, material handling/storage, and inspection.
• Divided into: fixed, programmable, flexible automation systems.

Fixed Automation

• Sequence of processing is fixed by equipment configuration.
• Operations are simple, involving linear or rotational motion.
• Also known as "hard automation”.
• Programmed commands are contained in the machine's gears/wiring.
• Fixed automation features a high initial investment, rates, and inflexibility.
• Economic justification is very large quantities and rates.
• Initial cost is spread over a large number of units.
• Examples include machining transfer lines (automotive), assembly machines, and chemical processes.

Programmable Automation

• Production equipment can change the sequence of operations.
• The operation sequence is controlled by a program.
• A program with sets of instructions coded so that they can be read and interpreted by the system.
• New programs produce new products.
• Programmable automation features a high investment, lower production rates, flexibility, for batch production, and suitablity.
• Used in low- and medium-volume production.
• Products are made in batches.
• Programmable automation includes NC tools, robots, PLCs.

Flexible Automation

• An extension of programmable automation.
• Capable of producing various parts/products with no time lost.
• There is no production time reprogramming the system/altering the setup.
• The system produces various mixes/schedules instead of batches.
• Flexible automation features a high investment, continuous production, medium rates, design variation.
• Flexible automation examples are flexible manufacturing systems (machining processes).

Computerized Manufacturing Support System

• Automation is aimed at reducing manual effort.
• Automation helps in product design, manufacturing planning/control, and the business functions.
• Support systems are implemented using computers.
• Computer technology implements automation of manufacturing systems.
• Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) denotes computer systems use to design/plan products, control operations, and perform tasks.
• True CIM integrates all of these functions into one system.
• Computer-aided design (CAD) supports product design while computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is used for functions related to manufacturing.
• Some systems perform both CAD and CAM.

Reasons for Automation

• Automation improves product accuracy, runs the same way every time with no human errors
• Errors can impact the production process.
• The product finish accuracy can reach atomic level, as in computer chip production.
• Automation can reduce defects/mistakes.
• Automated machinery run the same way by reducing defects, improving accuracy, and reducing costs.
• Automation improves output efficiency.
• Machines can take in higher outputs than humans, reaching 1000's per minute.
• Automation increases safety.
• Dangerous tasks can be automated, changing or removing risk.
• A safe zone decreases injury/downtime.
• Automation can comply with regulations for worker safety.
• Lead times are shorter and products are cheaper by automation.
• Automation add value to existing processes.
• Automated systems can be implemented to have tolerances of 0.0001mm
• There are accurate machines for repeatable testing.
• Automated systems cannot get bored, so there are lower rates of error than manual. Machinery does not get bored of repetitive tasks and all inprove accuracy/consistency
• Automation ensures the end product reaches customers/stakeholders.
• Regulations/laws can be satisfied via automation.
• Automation can result in less training time.
• Automated can result in improved customer satisfaction and lowered employee turnover.
• Mundane and monotone tasks are not enjoyable.
• Automatic tasks leave people to do more challenging activities.
• Makes staff more satisfied and a workforce that is efficient, productive, and retains staff.

Manual Labor

• There are some situations where manual labor is needed even within automated factories.
• Manual operations are needed when tasks are technologically hard to automate, or there is a short product lifecycle to consider.
• Manual includes: customized products, demand of ups and downs, and lack of capital.
• The need for the following manual work is still here: Equipment maintenance, programming and computer operation, solve technical problems, and plant management.