Strategies and case studies in assembly system selection

Abstract

Selecting the most appropriate assembly system can offer enormous benefits in terms of product quality, cost reduction and manufacturing productivity. However, selecting the right system for a product depends on a large number of factors and is not a simple problem. Its solution requires considerable expertise and there is a lack of systematic approaches to support decision making in this area. The paper presents a strategy for selecting assembly systems for a product based on technological and economic considerations, including component and assembly design, component variability and production conditions. Application of the strategy is illustrated through the use of a number of industrial case studies across a range of business sectors. The case study reference data are provided in a common format to enable businesses to compare in the selection process.

Process Selection Strategies and Case Studies

“…[20]. The intention is to illustrate the application of the selection criteria and also to indicate some of the opportunities for businesses associated with the implementation of assembly automation in industry.…”

Production planning of mixed-model assembly lines: overview and extensions

“…None of the papers however provides a complete planning approach which covers configuration and reconfiguration planning, master scheduling, sequencing and resequencing as is displayed in Figure 1. 1 Although the planning of a production system in principle starts with the product design, as a large deal of future costs are already determined at this phase (Swift et al, 2004), the actual production planning of the assembly system begins with the initial configuration and installation of the productive units. This configuration planning also decides on all resources which are required in the production process.…”

Produktionsplanung bei Variantenfließfertigung: Planungshierarchie und Elemente einer Hierarchischen Planung

“…Als Synthese aus allen genannten Ansätzen, ergänzt um ein kurzfristiges Resequencing, entsteht die in Abbildung 1 dargestellte Planungshierarchie zur Strukturierung der Produktionsplanung bei Variantenfließferti-gung. 1 Auch wenn schon Mellerowicz (1958, S. 110) darauf hinweist, dass die Planung eines Fließsystems streng genommen mit der Planung des Produktes beginnt, und in der Phase des Produktdesigns bereits ein Großteil der späteren Produktionskosten determiniert wird (Swift et al, 2004), so beginnt die eigentliche Produktionsplanung mit der Installation des Fließsystems. Bei der Erstinstallation wird über den späteren Produktionsprozess und die zur Durchführung benötigten Produktionsfaktoren entschieden.…”