Digital Commons Network^™

A Parallel Architecture For Stock Cutting Problem, Cihan H. Dagli, Alireza Hajakbari

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The problem of allocating irregular patterns arises frequently in applications where it has to be determined how a set of two-dimensional shapes will fit onto a stock sheet of finite dimensions with minimum waste. The use of the simulated annealing approach for the solution of this problem is described

Cost Justification Of An Expert System, Alice E. Smith, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

It is pointed out that, like other projects which spend corporate dollars, an expert system must be analyzed for its economic and strategic worth to the organization. Both traditional engineering economy project analysis and multivariate holistic methods can be applicable. The fundamental strategy of the analyst is to decide upon the evaluation methodologies, gather cost and benefit data, study the project from various perspectives, and present the results and recommendations.

Simulated Annealing Approach For Solving Stock Cutting Problem, Cihan H. Dagli, Alireza Hajakbari

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The simulated annealing approach is applied to stock cutting. The conceptual approach proposed uses an energy function that measures the area of the rectangular enclosure of all the patterns to be nested, the level of similarity between pattern pairs, and the amount of overlap among patterns in evaluating various pattern configurations to be generated by the simulated annealing algorithm. Three methods for pattern configuration generation are considered. The first method uses heuristics to generate the initial configuration. The second and third methods use random selection and random placement of patterns

Neural Networks In Manufacturing: Possible Impacts On Cutting Stock Problems, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The potential of neural networks is examined, and the effect of parallel processing on the solution of the stock-cutting problem is assessed. The conceptual model proposed integrates a feature-recognition network and a simulated annealing approach. The model uses a neocognitron neural network paradigm to generate data for assessing the degree of match between two irregular patterns. The information generated through the feature recognition network is passed to an energy function, and the optimal configuration of patterns is computed using a simulated annealing algorithm. Basics of the approach are demonstrated with an example.

Development And Validation Of A Model For Training Maintenance Supervisors For Productivity Improvements In Manufacturing Operations, Robert Reed Johnson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this study was to develop and validate a training model for training maintenance supervisors. This training model focused on those areas, defined by industrial managers, where additional supervisory training was most likely to improve the performance of the maintenance departments.

Research of industrial and maintenance publications identified the maintenance function as having one of the lowest productivity levels in manufacturing organizations. Supervisor training was identified as a means to improve productivity in maintenance departments. An industrial survey completed by maintenance managers in manufacturing organizations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin identified those activities that were the responsibility …

The Importance Of Technology Assessment Procedures For Missionary Trainees, James Michael Hoeksema

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to identify those technology assessment (TA) procedures that are most important to teach to missionary trainees. This was based on the perceptions of the chief executive officers of U.S. Protestant mission agencies.

A survey was used to collect the research data. A total of 175 usable survey instruments were returned (25.6%). Analysis of the data consisted of frequency distributions and Chi-square.

A "common core" of TA procedures which are being used by mission agencies was identified. These were: (a) on-site field investigation, (b) committee meetings, (c) brainstorming, (d) personal interviews, (e) review of related …

Application Of Risk Analysis In Investment Decision Making For New Products, Chul Paik

Masters Theses

This study presents the development of a quantitative model to deal with the decision to invest or not invest in the development and production of a new product. It is most applicable to new products which present a high probability of economic failure. The model employs only simple mathematics and statistics, so the decision maker can easily understand the model.

The model uses as input data three variables. These include: (1) the risk of product failure, (2) the maximum loss a company can afford in an investment, and (3) the estimated project cost. These three variables combined furnish as output …

Acuta Enews November 1989, Vol. 18, No. 11

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

A Conversation with Kid Malott, ACUTA Post President

Message From The President

Toronto Seminar a Smash!

Update: More on McGill..

Changing your prefix? Read this first...

Administrative Director's Column

Acuta Enews October 1989, Vol. 18, No. 10

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

One of the hottest topics among ACUTA members... Student Services

DO KNOW YOUR ACUTA REGION?

Message From The President

Focus on ACUTA News:

Then and Now

User Groups

Party Line

Acuta Enews September 1989, Vol. 18, No. 9

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

ln Memory of Bill D. Morris

Reflection on Bill Morris

Message From The President

Party Line

Protect Your Call Records

Acuta Enews August 1989, Vol. 18, No. 8

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

ACUTA Conference o Success in Philly!

PHILADELPHIA BOARD MEETING

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

First Timers Contest

USER Groups

Party Line

An Ergonomic Training Program For Manual Handling Tasks, Akhilesh Agrawal

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to test whether or not muscular endurance of individuals engaged in industrial manual handling tasks can be improved through a short and intensive training program. This investigation also involved the study of the effect of muscular endurance training program on muscular strength.

The study revealed that, over a six-week period, the muscular endurance can be improved significantly. After sixteen sessions of training, the endurance time increased over 500% for manual materials handling tasks and over 1200% for upper extremity manual handling tasks. The endurance training program, however, did not increase both static and dynamic …

Acuta Enews July 1989, Vol. 18, No. 7

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

President's Message

ACUTA Welcomes Two New Staff Members to Serve you!

Nanci Unger, Publications Editor

Don't Miss ACUTA's 18th Annual Conference and Exhibit Show July 23-27 in Philadekphia

Kellie Preston Promoted to Staff and Events Coordinator

Another First for ACUTA: Live Satellite Transmission Planned for Annual Conference

Acuta Enews June 1989, Vol. 18, No. 6

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

President's Message

Party Line

Administrative Director's Office

The Secondary Marker: Working to Save You Money

The Battle Continues: Centrex vs PBX

Used Equipment Isn't Necessarily Abused Equipment

A Sugar Movement Planning System For Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, Nirmala Hindupur

IIMB Management Review

Public distribution of essential commodities is a vital sector of the Indian
economy. This sector, with its diverse activities, has tremendous scope for
efficiency improvement and cost control through the implementation of
Computer-Aided Management (CAM) Systems. Because of its vital importance,
this area is one of the thrust areas selected by CAM Centre, ASCI, Hyderabad
for the development of CAM systems.
The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSCSC) is one of the
organizations identified for the development of CAM systems.
This paper describes the Sugar Movement Planning System designed
and developed under the GAM project by the author at …

Simulation And Off-Line Programming Of Robotic Workcells, Krishnaprasad V. Kamisetty

Theses

A typical, complex robotic workcell, namely NJIT's Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) cell has been designed, modelled and simulated to bridge the gap between design and its implementation. McDonnell Douglas' (McAuto) PLACE, BUILD, COMMAND and ADJUST have been used to simulate entire cycle of the NJIT's FMS cell. Various aspects such as "Cycle Time Analysis", robot reachability of various positions in the cell and "Collision Detection" have also been studied and analyzed.

The ease of effecting any modifications to the existing workcell design has been demonstrated. The NJIT's FMS cell consists of the GE P-50 robot, the IBM 7535 robot, the …

Management Of Construction Jobsite Productivity : A Self Assessment Approach, Nicos Poliviou Nicolaou

Theses

A critical component of construction project management is the improvement of jobsite productivity. This paper proposes a procedure for use by project managers to assess jobsite productivity performance. The methodology provides a framework which when applied will identify specific aspects of the jobsite where potential productivity improvement is possible. A major feature is its systematic approach which will direct the project manager to the specific resources which when better managed will lead to lower construction costs.

Robotic Safety Utilizing A Safety Engineering Approach, Brian Gallagher

Theses

Robotic safety is examined and explained using a safety engineering perspective. After reviewing robot fundamentals and defining the need for safety, hazard assessment and risk analysis techniques are studied. Reasons for a comprehensive robot safety program are discussed. Currently available accident statistics are examined to better understand the hazards associated with robot installations. Robotic safety procedures and methods are listed which can help reduce the severity or frequency of hazards. Various safeguarding sensors and types are analyzed for they are the "last line of defense" to reduce hazards to an acceptable level. The American Robot Safety Standard, ANSI/RIA R15.06 - …

Feasibiltiy, Planning, And Justification Of Fms : A Case Study, Joo Hwan Kim

Theses

FMS production technology, because of its ability to adjust to changes in product demands and produce at competitive costs even on small runs and at above quality levels, has caused its adoption by the major automobile manufacturers. These attributes are of particular interest to Korean automobile manufacturers who due to a small home market need to manufacture in relative small quantities and to export.

This paper considers how such a technology can be implemented. It discusses the key factors to be considered such as strategy, selection and design of the appropriate hardware and software, required organizational changes, and its economic …

The Effects Of Degraded Indoor Air Quality On Employees Working In High Rise Office Buildings, Richard Patrick Luongo

Theses

An examination of the effects of poor indoor air quality on workers in high rise office buildings was conducted. These effects are manifested physiologically, psychologically and economically and originate from sources inside and outside the building, as well as from the building's ventilation system. These sources include combustion products, microorganisms, volatile organic chemicals, cigarette smoke and miscellaneous chemicals. Lower productivity and higher absenteeism are the initial results of these effects. If the situation becomes chronic, an erosion of trust between employer and employee can occur which may eventually serve as the basis for litigation, such as worker's compensation claims and …

College Of Engineering And Technology Bylaws 1989, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Reports

Attached are the Bylaw for the College of Engineering as approved April 21, 1989.

Acuta Enews April 1989, Vol. 18, No. 4

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

President's Message

Party Line

User Groups

1989-90 Dues Notices

Gallaudet University

University of Missouri Adds Video Instruction To Beat The Highway Blue

Wake Forest University Telecommunitcations

Administrative Director's Office

Sky-high satisfaction with SkyDome contract

Acuta Enews March 1989, Vol. 18, No. 3

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

Duke University Tel-Com

Bits & Pieces

President's Message

Administrative Director's Office

Palm Springs Seminar

Party Line

Digital Rebel

User Groups

Acuta Enews February 1989, Vol. 18, No. 2

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

President's Message

Party Line

Users Must Join The Standards Fray

Video Classroom

User Groups

Bits & Pieces

A Research Analysis : Differences Between Contemporary Corporate Management And Entrepreneurial Management, Kevin A. Gugliotta

Theses

A research analysis was conducted to distinguish the differences between contemporary corporate management and entrepreneurial management. A major difference is in the attitude, perception, and priority of the senior management and the organizational mission. Other distinguishing differences are related to individual and organizational leadership, organizational hierarchy and structure, decision-making authority, and compensation systems for employees.

Assessment Of Squirrel-Caused Power Outages, J. Chris Hamilton, Ron J. Johnson, Ronald M. Case, Michael W. Riley

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Squirrel-caused power outages in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, were evaluated by examining company power outage reports and by consulting with power company representatives. Reports showed that squirrel-caused outages at pole-mounted transformers were most prevalent during May, June, and October (48% of total) and between 1 and 4 h after sunrise (38%), patterns that coincide with squirrel dispersal or morning activity periods. In Lincoln, 1980 and 1981, squirrels caused 177 outages per year, which was 24% of all outages and 90% of animal-caused outages. Estimated minimum annual costs were $23 364 for repairs, public relations, and lost revenue while meters were …

Integrating Scheduling And Control Functions In Computer Integrated Manufacturing Using Artificial Intelligence, Luis Carlos Rabelo, Sema E. Alptekin

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Proper integration of scheduling and control in Flexible Manufacturing Systems will make available the required level of decision-making capacity to provide a flexibly-automated, efficient, and quality manufacturing process. To achieve this level of integration, the developments in computer technology and sophisticated techniques of artificial intelligence (AI) should be applied to such FMS functions as scheduling. In this paper, we present an Intelligent Scheduling System for FMS under development that makes use of the integration of two AI technologies. These two AI technologies — Neural Networks and Expert Systems — provide the intelligence that the scheduling function requires in order to …

Group Set-Up For Printed Circuit Board Assembly, Tali F. Carmon, Oded Z. Maimon, Ezey M. Dar-El

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The current practice in the assembly of electronic components on printed circuit boards (PCBs) is serial production. a process characterized by very long set-up times. However, with the advent of efficient on-line process information .. new production control methods are now possible. This paper proposes a different production method, called the group set-up (GSU) method, which can significantly reduce set-up times. The traditional and the GSU production methods are compared, and it is shown that the GSU always performs better than the traditional method in terms of total production flow (throughput) and labour time However, the traditional method performs better …

Application Of Distributed Knowledge Bases In Intelligent Manufacturing, Cihan H. Dagli, Gerald E. Hoffman

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The authors consider independent knowledge bases operating on separate work stations networked together within the domain of knowledge-based scheduling. The scheduling problem is addressed through distributed knowledge bases that have an ability to pass information back and forth between small knowledge bases functioning at different decision-making levels. A small manufacturing plant is conceptualized in order to experiment with this process. The general outline and areas of the manufacturing shop are shown. The domain specific area for the knowledge bases is to optimize the scheduling of work at each work station in order to meet a weekly quota. Automatic guided vehicle, …

Possible Applications Of Neural Networks In Manufacturing, S. Lammers, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Summary form only given. An examination is made of the potential of neural networks and the impact of parallel processing in the design and operations of manufacturing systems. After an initial discussion on possible areas of application, an approach that integrates artificial intelligence, operations research, and neural networks for the solution of a scheduling problem is examined