It is bad engineering and worse management practice to look only at benefits and to ignore limitations. Handling systems, at times, have consequences that may be distinctly negative. These too, should be evaluated before the changes are adopted. Some such possible disadvantages are 1) Additional capital investment: It must be verified that the cost of the handling system is more attractively invested in the system under consideration than in any other part of the business. It should be assured that the gains expected are not based upon a more mechanized system v/s present practice, but rather the proposed new system v/s the best version of present practice. 2) Loss of flexibility Proposed system must be flexible enough to be economically and quickly adapted to the likely range of changes in the product or production techniques. If not, change over cost and time loss must be included in the evaluation, or Continue reading
Production Management
Introduction to Production Management
Meaning Of Production Management A few definitions of production management are being reproduced here under to understand the meaning of the term clearly: “Production management is the process of effectively planning and regulating the operations of that part of an enterprise which is responsible for actual transformation of materials into finished products”. Elwood S. Buffa has defined the term in a broader sense as: “Production management deals with decision making related to production process so that the resulting goods or services are produced according to specifications, in amounts and by the schedules demanded and at a minimum cost”. Production management, thus, is assigned with the following tasks. Specifying and accumulating the input resources, i.e., management, men, information, materials, machine and capital. Designing and installing the assembling or conversion process to transform the inputs into output, and Coordinating and operating the production process so that the desired goods and services may Continue reading
Factors Influencing Plant Layouts
The basic objective of any plant layout is to ensure a smooth flow of work, material, and information through a system. The basic meaning of plant is the space in which a business’s activities take place. The layout and design of that space impact greatly how the work is done-the flow of work, materials, and information through the system. The key to good plant layout and design is the integration of the needs of people (personnel and customers), materials (raw, finishes, and in process), and machinery in such a way that they create a single, well-functioning system. Recommended reading: Plant layouts – Definition and Objectives The following are some important factors, which influence the planning of effective layout to a significant degree. 1. Nature of the product: The nature of the product to be manufactured will significantly affect the layout of the plant. Stationary layout will be most suitable for Continue reading
Lean Thinking – Concept and Principles
Concept of Lean Thinking Lean Thinking originated from manufacturing methods used by Japanese automotive manufacturers, especially from Toyota. Lean thinking is basically about getting the right things, to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity while minimizing waste and waiting time and being flexible and open to change. A term coined by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones in their book “Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation” to describe an exceptionally focused, efficient, agile and successful organisation. Lean thinking provides a way to specify value, sequence value-creating actions in the best way, conduct these activities without interruption whenever someone requests them, and perform them more and more effectively. Lean thinking means doing more and more with less and less resources while providing customers with exactly what they want. “Becoming ‘lean’ is a process of eliminating waste with the goal of Continue reading
How to Eliminate Waste in Manufacturing?
What is Waste in Manufacturing Term? Waste Squander disposal is a standout amongst the best approaches to expand the gainfulness of any business. Forms either add esteem or waste to the creation of a decent or administration. The seven squanders started in Japan, where waste is known as “Muda.” “The seven squanders” is an apparatus to additionally order “Muda” and was initially created by Toyota’s Chief Engineer Taiichi Ohno as the center of the Toyota Production System, otherwise called Lean Manufacturing. To wipe out waste, it is imperative to see precisely what waste is and where it exists. While items altogether contrast between industrial facilities, the regular squanders found in assembling conditions are very comparative. For each waste, there is a technique to lessen or take out its impact on an organization, consequently enhancing general execution and quality. We’ve all heard the expression, “you can’t make something out of nothing.” Continue reading
Concept of Agile Manufacturing
The Agile Manufacturing was presented in the first time at the publication in the USA of a report entitled 21st Century Manufacturing Enterprise Strategy. So, it has been introduced as a method of increasing competitive advantage in response to increasingly competitive global markets. Agile concept focuses on the fast response to changeable of customer demand. The key component in agile manufacturing is flexibility. The agile manufacturing methods can be adjusted and consolidated into companies of any size to ensure the growth and success. The changeable of customer and technological requirements that make the manufacturers develop agile supply chain capabilities in order to be competitive. So, many companies use the flexibility and agility to respond the customers’ requirement and markets demand in real time. The new concept of agility manufacturing need to secure competitive advantage from the production process that can be both efficient and responsive. Agility can be defined as Continue reading