Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Utilization Of The Microcomputer To Improve The Productivity Of Small Manufacturing Companies, Hung-Gi Chang

Theses

The ongoing microcomputer development has led to its increasing application in manufacturing to reduce costs and improve productivity. Being more aware of this technology, most of these benefits have accrued to large firms. The intent of this thesis is to show that it is equally advantageous for small manufacturing companies to utilize them and show how they can do so.

The paper discusses the role and characteristics of microcomputers. Available software to do engineering designs, materials requirements planning, process planning, and master production scheduling is described. Using a case study a method that can be followed in selection and implementation …

Computerized Work Measurement System, Vrajesh Shah

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the application of computerized work measurement to improve productivity and efficiency of production workers. In doing so, the techniques of MOST (Maynard Operation Sequence Technique) is studied to determine its appropriateness for industrial use. The advantages and disadvantages of the system are studied as to its value to large and small industries.

The Impact Of Fms On Batch Production Processes, Jan-Sheau Ho

Theses

A Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is an integrated system of combining metalcutting and other processes with materials handling under computer control. With computer control, FMS is capable of processing a variety of different types of workpieces simultaneously. FMS is an approach towards a balancing of high output on the one hand and great flexibility on the other hand. FMS stands as a new technology to improve the productivity of mid-volume, mid-variety production; therefore the manufacturing world will soon feel the impact of FMS.

This thesis attempts to specify what FMS is and how it works, the influence of FMS on …

Development And Testing Of A Heuristic Line Balancing Program For A Microcomputer, Dean B. Creech

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Development, operation, and testing of a heuristic line balancing program for a microcomputer are discussed. Tasks are grouped into work stations along an assembly line such that the number of work stations required is minimized.

The model is built primarily using the Hoffman (1963) procedure with modifications described by Gehrlein and Patterson (1975). For purposes of comparison the Rank Positional Weight technique (Helgeson and Birnie, 1961) is also included in the model.

Testing included thirty-seven different balances using problems from the literature. For each balance, both Rank Positional Weight and Hoffmann solutions were obtained in the forward and reverse directions. …

Snap, A Contract Pricing Tool For The Micro-Computer, Kris Luella Hoffman

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The amount of time required during the contracting process from the solicitation of bids through contract award can be significant. Two of the main problem areas are evaluating the contractor’s proposal and completing the negotiation process. The SNAP system was developed to simplify Negotiations with Automated Pricing using the microcomputer. SNAP can track three separate positions during negotiations and provide hour/dollar summaries for each of these positions by cost account, lot, department, and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Evaluation worksheets and department summaries can be produced to provide the evaluators with different perspectives of the same work effort. SNAP will also …

Utilization Of Expert Systems In The Work Place: Performing Project Software Cost Estimation On Training Systems, Henry A. Marshall

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This research report investigates the use of an expert system to aid project engineers at the Naval Training Systems Center in making decisions concerning the requirements of the computer systems used in simulators. For a prototype system domain, the author chose an expert system that would generate a software development cost estimate. This system questions the user about the features and options required on the training system. The expert system then analyzes the information to generate a “lines of code” estimate. A selected model will combine various factors to generate s value answer for the user. The capabilities and features …

The Application Of Expert Systems To Automated Storage And Retrieval, Robert E. Mcdonald

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This report discusses the major functions, decisions, and strategies of automated storage and retrieval systems (AR/RS). The report surveys the essential features of expert systems and discusses how they can be applied in automated warehousing environments. A blackboard expert system architecture was examined and found to be a flexible and responsive control system for automated warehousing applications. A simple AR/RS expert system was constructed using an expert system software package. A warehousing simulation was performed which compared the expert system’s performance to a typical AR/RS control system. The expert system produced increased efficiency of operation because of the intelligent rules …

An Investigation Of The Application Of Utility Theory To Determine The Value Of Time: The Demand For Interactive Information Systems In Student Markets, Gordon S. Kalley

Theses

The economic rational of many contemporary businesses is the provision of services or labor saving equipment which their customers' pay for in order• to save themselves time. A major decision such an enterprise must make prior to entry into the market i=_ whether enough of a market exists to make its entry worthwhile. Such firms would be able to make better resource allocation decisions if they could have a quantitative measure of the relationship of their consumer's valuation of time vis a vi money. This study proposes such a measure.

Interactive information systems, whose viability depends to a large degree …

Basic Concepts In Cad & Cam, Chao-Ming Liu

Theses

As the computer revolution is nearing its end, CAD/CAM concepts are being widely accepted and evolving rapidly. This thesis begins with a disscussion of the significance and advantages of CAD/CAM and their relationship with automation. Hardware and software components involved are then introduced. Product design under CAD is done by computers. Computers perform engineering analysis, necessary calculations, and dynamic simulation to complete the complex design. The geometric elements and operational primitives are provided by a data base system. The major components of CAM are then introduced. The term CAM is used in a broader sense to include CAPP, MRP, NC, …

The Flexible Manufacturing System And Its Development In Taiwan, Chi-Shuan Liu

Theses

FMS is a new kind of manufacturing system which is flexible enough to handle a limited variety of parts. It usually consists of three main components: machine tools, a material handling system, and a computer control system. The material handling system is the key to integrating manufacturing cells into the FMS. The machine tools used in FMS are programmable and computer-controlled, having the ability to change their operation process rapidly to deal with product changeovers and part design changes. The digital computer used in FMS has the capability of handling various manufacturing processes which are not capable of being controlled …

Human Factors In The Design Of Computer Graphics Input/Output Interfaces, Michael Uche Amadi

Theses

Computers are used for solving problems of various kinds and therefore, if the users are to fully benefit from the systems, they must be considered during the earliest stages of the system development. There are three major classes of computer users namely: naive, managerial, and scientific-technical. These users have different characteristics that the designer must consider within his/her system. Only by including such distinctions will these user groups each be able to perform at their respective optimum levels. Just as there are different users, there are also numerous applications to which computers can be applied. This thesis will be restricted …

An Investigation Of Structural Requirements For Computer-Integrated Manufacturing System, Deok-Soo Kim

Theses

This thesis mainly deals with the structural requirements for integration of Computer-Aided Design, Computer-Aided Manufacturing, and Computer-Aided Process Planning functions to achieve ideal Computer-Integrated Manufacturing system. Attempts to define the terminologies and to find the reasons which necessitate these technologies have been made. This work also examines the business issues to justify this concept.

This thesis considers that Computer-Integrated Manufacturing system consists of three major ingredients: Computer-Aided Design, Computer-Aided Manufacturing, and Computer-Aided Process Planning. Flexible Manufacturing System is dealt as an physical shape of Computer-Aided Manufacturing. As the result of integration, the interface rises as a serious problem, and comprehensive …

Simulation Of The Manufacturing System : A General Discussion, Di-Cheing Chien

Theses

This thesis treats the problem of multi-variable sensitivity analysis in a production system which may be used in investigating a variety of characteristics of a flow production system which involve idle time, cost, production rate, ect. are the subjects of the analysis.

The analysis procedure follows the rule of INPUT/OUTPUT through a production process. A simple system model using elements such as : raw material, transfer tool, labor, machine and energy/ or electrical power, is used to lead into the construction of dependent-variable system. A utilization is made of industrial robots as well as humans in loading and unloading machines …

Engineer Education: Disciplinary Preferences In The Faculty Of Engineering University Of Dar Es Salaam, S Mosha

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Most practising engineers can hardly recall the days they had to make up their minds on whether engineering was their chosen career. This decision may have been approached with ignorance and very high expectations. Later after registering in a Faculty of Engineering the freshman was given a chance to choose a department; sometimes this had already been done for him by his sponsors so all he had to do was to walk into the preselected department.

A generation later, University entrants are faced with a similar predicament. This paper high-lights the procedures involved and proceeds to recommend the necessary fundamental …

The Effects Of Feedback On Operator Performance In A Production Environment, Diane L. Knoll

Theses

The objective of this thesis and it's associated research is to analyze the positive effects of feedback in a production environment. The experimental data was collected at the Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation in New Jersey and a subsidiary company, The J. T. Clark Company, in Illinois.

The experiments involved three types of feedback indirect feedback provided to a large group of packaging operators, direct feedback provided to a small group of temporary packaging operators in a training situation, and direct feedback provided to an entire workforce of operators performing dissimilar, but interrelated tasks.

The results of these experiments were consistent with …

Lifo Perishable Inventory (S,S,T) Model And Its Related Discount Policy, Yuan-Shyi Chiu

Theses

The objective of this thesis is to determine the optimal (s,S,T) ordering policy for a perishable inventory system with a fixed product lifetime and Poisson demand. The simulation technique is utilized to identify the optimal ordering policy which minimizes the total cost consisted of ordering, holding, shortage, and outdate costs. Upon the establishment of the optimal ordering policy, a discount policy on the outdating items is proposed to provide decision maker(s) with tradeoff between the profit and the average outdate cost.

The computer programs written in FORTRAN are designed to generate the optimal (s,S,T) ordering policy of any above-mentioned inventory …

Automation Considerations For A Manufacturing System, Marvin Fachuan Wang

Theses

This thesis examines the present manufacturing system of Apollo Valve Company, a solenoid control valves manufacturing. After analyzing the present system, the automation considerations and proposed new system were recommended.

Chapter 1 presenti the background material of automation and manufacturing system. The development of the automated factory is also included. The plant layout, organization, and departments functions of the present system are briefly described in the Chapter 2. Analysis of the present manufacturing system by the production volume, by plant layout, and by the manufacturing operations, is discussed in Chapter 3.

Proposed automation considerations and improvements, such as group technology …

Investigation Of Mental Workload In A Visual Inspection Task, Michel Alfandari

Theses

This thesis consists of an investigation of the "mental workload" involved in a visual inspection task. A short-term laboratory experiment was conducted on twenty test subjects to study the effects of three typical job-related factors encountered in mental workload situations: load stress, time stress, and motivation. These effects were assessed through the subjects' performances as measured by speed and accuracy data. The analysis of the results revealed that an increase in load stress deteriorates both speed and accuracy, whereas time stress improves speed but only at the expense of accuracy. The expected positive influence of motivational factor (cash prizes) was …

United States V. Western Europe : A Comparative Study Of Safeguarding Practice Against Hazards At The Point Of Operation In Metal Forming Systems, Jeffrey Joseph Schwalje

Theses

The problem of assuring safety for the worker at the point of operation of a metal stamping system is complex by virtue of the multiplicity of combinations possible between all conceivable dies and a press of suitable capacity.

The means of providing safeguarding prescriptions is further compounded by maintaining a viable means to enforce the safety regulations as demanded by law.

A comparative study of the approach to this problem was made between the practices in the United States with that of Great Britain, France and West Germany.

This was accomplished through the study of the available standards, codes and …

The Relationship Between Management Training And Other Predictor Variables And Managerial Performance Among Selected Industrial First-Line Supervisors, Joseph Thomas Martelli

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between industrial first-line supervisors' participation in management training programs and subsequent job related performance as assessed by the subjects' overall management by objectives (MBO) performance appraisal rating .

Also, the relationship between managerial performance and predictor variables (age, years of supervisory experience, formal education level, self development, prior management training, and professional society involvement) was assessed.

Twenty-three first-line supervisors from a medium sized manufacturing organization participated in the study. A questionnaire was designed which extracted measures on the predictor variables from the subjects. Corporate management supplied the measure …

A Monte Carlo Approach To Ridge Discriminant Analysis, Lee Wooldridge

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

A combined analytical and empirical method to define human performance measures is required for effective automated training. In theory, performance measures can be weighted and combined in a single first order equation upon which an automated training system can track a student's comparative skill level. A form of multivariate discriminant analysis was the statistical technique incorporated into the measurement selection and weighting scheme. (Vreuls and Wooldridge 1977). As with regression analysis, this discriminant technique was subject to debilitating problems such as overfit and undesirable inaccuracies in the coefficients. The author developed and implemented an adjustment to the discriminant function analogous …

Simulation Model To Evaluate Performance Of Operational Systems And Their Impact On Repair Shop Activity At A Navy Field Site, James T. Newell

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents the background and procedures leading to development of a simulation model to analyze the impact of certain decision variables on operational system performance and workloads as the repair facility of a typical Navy field site. The research examines the impact of maintenance support concepts, as implemented by changes in the decision variables, associated with the broader application of Automatic Test Equipment. The initial effort consisted of data collection and field site surveys which culminated in defining a work flow model illustrating typical repair facility operations. The work flow model is translated into a computer simulation model. The …

Software Quality Assurance, Edward C. Soistman

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The problems associated with software development and use are investigated from a management point of view. Having identified the critical aspects of effective software management, an approach is suggested for the creation and implementation of a software quality assurance program, Particular attention is focused on the concept of Life Cycle Procurement as currently utilized by the Department of Defense. The research was accomplished in two phases. The first consisted of an extensive literature search, seminar attendance and participation in several working groups assigned the responsibility for establishing software quality assurance guidelines. The second phase involved direct participation in the development …

The Guarding Of The Principal Metalworking Machines : The Techniques, Need, And Responsibility, Peter James Schwalje

Theses

This thesis examines the guarding of the principal metalworking machines employed in the economy. The machines selected for consideration comprise the bulk of metal processing equipment utilized in the basic fabrication and manufacturing processes. It has been intuitively recognized that this equipment has been involved in a significant quantity of industrial accidents by the very nature of the hazards created by their normal use. Consequently, a need to develop some form of guarding or means of operator protection is called for.

In order to examine this question the principal metalworking machines are enumerated, their basic operating characteristics set forth,, and …

Point Of Operation Safeguarding - A Metal Forming System Approach, William Baker Eaton

Theses

The mechanical power press in its application in the metal stamping and forming industry has been misinterpreted as a selfcontained metal forming system. Examination of the production routines involving the press show that this machine is actually only one elemental component of the metal forming system and not the total production unit.

Authoritative codes and standards pertinent to the mechanical power press have reflected this misinterpretation by not including system considerations in their contents. These omissions have resulted in the providing of safeguards which do not properly reflect the particular characteristics of the metal forming system to which they are …

Survey Of Techniques Used By Small Manufacturing Businesses To Implement Production Control, William De Hoog

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Vocational Training Act 1974, Blueprint For The Future, A. Athumani

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Abstract

Ubungo Farm Implements Manufacturing Company, H.N. Kida

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Abstract

Technical Education And Industrial Employment, P.V Mitsschke Collande

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Abstract

Proposal To Establishment An Institute For Production Innovation, W. Kreuser

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Abstract