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Human-robot collaboration (HRC) applications have been slowly making their path in the industry. Although the required hardware and the methods for the planning and development of collaborative robotic applications are mostly already developed, some industrial branches still struggle to implement HRC. This is the case in motorcycle production, where, unlike car production, the assembly line has been optimized for manual work. Based on the use case described above, this paper identifies new requirements of HRC for automated screwing assembly operations in flexible production environments. In order to compensate deviations in the position of the tool relative to the workpiece, a screwing strategy based on force control is proposed. Parameter sensitivity is considered and supported experimentally with a screwing task performed by a cobot, where a method for contact detection between the nutrunner and the screw head is analyzed. This paper brings a guideline for experts from the manufacturing system engineering to implement HRC in highly dynamic assembly environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, serious environmental problems arise with overconsumption. To obtain maximum benefit from the recycling activities depends on the effective and robust design of the disassembly lines. In addition to this, the distribution plan of products to be recycled is as important as the disassembly process. Therefore, it is important to handle these two problems simultaneously. This paper includes the integrated optimization of the disassembly line balancing problem and the multi-objective green vehicle routing problem for the first time. The integrated problem is formulated as a Multi-Objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming. The objectives of the model consist of minimization of total CO2 emission and minimization of the total cost. This proposed model could provide to decision makers flexible solutions for simultaneous optimization regarding environmental and economic aspect by considering potential situations that take into account in supply chain management and help to make strategic decisions as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on improving the flow efficiency of a production line using simulation software. The aim of this study is to simulate the actual flow using advanced simulation software and improvement in productivity was done by increasing the utilization of the underutilized facilities. Simulation modeling was used to evaluate the equipment and manpower performance for the manufacturing system. Each individual facility in the flow has to be analyzed carefully and allocated to stations in a balanced way over the available workstations. The paper is divided into 3 parts, the first part consists of data collection and distribution selection in which selection of best data distribution was carried out, the second part is about simulation modeling, analysis of the simulated model in which underutilized facilities were identified, and cause of the underutilization was identified, in the third part, the results of the model were analyzed, validated and finally, best modifications for the flow were suggested to improve the efficiency of the flow. And finally, Cost-benefit Analysis was performed to determine the tenure of recovering the total investment. Based on the simulation results, the top under-utilized facility was M5, M6, M7, M9, and M3 and the existing production was struggling to meet the customer demand due to machine shortages. So, to overcome this underutilization problem, we suggested some modifications by generating different scenarios in the flowline described in the proposed improvement section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly lines are characterized by the movement of the workpiece from one workstation to the next. An assembly line balancing problem consists of assigning the individual tasks to the workstations to optimize some appropriate measure of the line performance. If a line is balanced perfectly, all stations have an equal amount of work to perform, and a smooth product flow with no delay will be achieved. In this paper, two types of assembly line problems are analyzed. The first one is when the cycle time is given, and it needs to determine the minimum number of workstations. The second one is when the number of workstations is given, and it needs to determine the minimum cycle time. To determine the feasible and optimal solutions, the proponent uses software called ProPlanner. ProPlanner determines the possible solutions and assignment of tasks in each workstation that optimize the objective of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In industry, the use of temperature sensors is paramount, with real-time sensors being crucial for temperature fluctuations. However, such sensing systems may fail due to environmental or technical factors such as corrosion, sensor body fault, or wire fault in the assembly line. Therefore, a reliable sensor on that infrastructure is required to complete the process efficiently. In this context, this paper introduces Data Prediction and Early Detection of Errors in Temperature Sensors (DPEDETS), a method which helps the digital monitoring of sensor health conditions of a temperature system for stool monitoring DPEDETS. The methodology involves the autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) the mathematical concept test method to initiate a tentative assessment of sensory variation. Then, it detects and distinguishes confusion in the continuous transmission of sensory data, detecting premature sensory failure. The proposed DPEDETS method provides a reliable measurement of the time sensing data for the duration of sensing failure or temperature monitoring systems. The DPEDETS method has been tested on the temperature data collected from different types of temperature sensors. The results illustrate effectiveness of the DPEDETS process and sensory function of temperature monitoring on suites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's global market requires the ability to adapt to high production volumes, product variety, increase product quality and decrease production time to market for the assembly system. The increase of demand for the product quality and variety is 2P product related requirements, meanwhile increase of demand for the production volume and decrease production time to market time is 2P production related requirements. This paper defines these requirements as "2+2P" a main research problem of the assembly system. As well as, the future assembly systems need to fulfill capability and capacity flexibility of the market. The empirical studies have documented that human is the most flexible element of the manufacturing systems and they are responsible for capability flexibility, while machines are good at repetitive tasks and they enhance the capacity flexibility. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the increase of human centered automation levels in manual assembly system, with the integration of ARM manipulator using System Modeling Language. In this study, an assembly, conventionally having a lower degree of automation, is investigated for human and arm interaction for productivity gains keeping constant flexibility. The integration methodology is based on System Modeling Language (SysML), for specifying analyzing, designing and verifying hybrid system. The station layout, tooling design and manipulator programming are elaborated using digital Solid works and Process Simulator tools. The motivations as well as the benefits derived from the employment of the arm manipulator into industrial case are discussed. The proposed methodology allows decrease of cycle time from 900 seconds to around 470 seconds, increase productivity, ergonomics of the assembly cell and increases the product quality by reducing human involvement by 23%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is about the implementation of the introduction of assignment slots to optimize the double-sided assembly line. This research was performed using hybrid Artificial Bee Colony and Semi-greedy algorithms. The main objective is to get the most optimal value. The introduction of this assignment slots is shown in detail in this paper with a total of 4 main cycles and P24 with CT = 18 as an example. Several tasks set with P9, P16, P24, P44 and P65 were tested with the same cycle time setting in the previous study. From the previous study, the partial fitness method has been tested and the results have been compared with this method. The results show that the introduction of this assignment slot is more effective to get the optimal value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack in any structure is a destructive phenomenon. It can cause the early failure of any structure or component. It may lead to severe accidents and may harm humans too. So, it is very essential to detect these cracks effectively and do the required measures to avoid failure or accidents. Previously, this was done by skilled inspectors but it is relatively difficult for them to observe inaccessible areas like walls of dams or to observe every component on the assembly line, etc. So, a reliable and automated method of crack detection is required. In this paper, a method using MATLAB software and with the help of image processing techniques like thresholding, morphological operation proper detection of crack is proposed. The edge detection technique is used for extracting the crack boundaries and for better visualisation of cracks, these extracted boundaries are superimposed on the original image. The parameter of the crack-like percentage area of the crack is also determined. Also, as the thresholding value is calculated automatically for every sample, the system developed can be used for all similar kinds of samples without altering the parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Automotive Quality Management System of IATF16949:20016 required the organization to establish and maintain the PFMEA to support the implementation a risk based thinking for achieving effective quality management system and defect prevention. Even there are several guidelines to develop the PFMEA, there are inconsistency in development of FMEA and determining the elements in PFMEA. Hence PFMEA fail to deliver the intended results to prevent product defect origins from manufacturing process. This paper explores the common issues in FMEA through case study and proposed the countermeasure to develop an effective PFMEA through series of workshops. The output of this paper is guideline to develop effective PFMEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, small scale and large scale production with quickly reconfigurable equipment integrated into a single technological complex prevails. The scale production without an assembly production line performs several operations at each workplace, so going from one operation to another during a change-over of equipment causes downtime. An assembly production line offers higher labour productivity, lower production costs, sh orter production cycle times, and more efficient use of space. Being designed for a complex product, the assembly process is suitable for any product in this group using minor adjustments. When performing the assembling for each specific rear axle of the group, any operation unnecessary for this product is disregarded. For a representative product, the Rear Axle of the PAZ - 4234 bus was selected. This study deals with designing a universal assembly line for commercial car rear axle assembly in two modifications. This paper considers profitability of introducing innovations for a new conveyor into production. The pre-design calculation presents the line with a modified surface conveyor. The final calculation proposes to take the annual economic effect into account. As a result, comprehensive production-related technical & economic calculations are submitted using the KAAZ plant as an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production efficiency is among the most important for the success of the companies. The more efficient production lines are in the companies, the more products with higher quantity and quality would come out of them. When Lean approach is applied even during the design and development phase of the assembly line, this will lead to less need for subsequent optimizations of this line when it is in serial production. And in this way time and money will be saved, i.e. cost will be minimized. The combination of Lean practices and Industry 4.0 technologies could be called Lean 4.0. The productivity would be even higher when using Lean 4.0. The main goal of this paper is to analyze how semi-automated automotive industry assembly line to be designed implementing Lean 4.0 approach. In order to achieve it, Lean analysis was performed for the elements of the most important KPI of the assembly lines – the overall equipment effectiveness. Based on it, Lean 4.0 technologies which would eliminate the negative impact over each element were selected. In the conclusion, few assembly line design recommendations for the automotive industry were given, such as incorporating smart sensors, adjustable actuators, internet connection, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's fashion trends has growth and impact to manufacturing footwear industry competitive especially for Make-to-Order (MTO) companies. For MTO companies order scheduling are driven by customer orders and production resources availability. Successfull order scheduling can responsive to fulfill customer demand based on due date. In literature, order scheduling in multi mixed-model production environment some companies has assign fix model to each assembly line which will make the result trapped in local optimization. So, in this paper we purpose order scheduling which assign flexible model to each assembly line in order to get global optimization in the final order schedule. A flexible order scheduling in footwear industry concurrently need to considered production resource share between production line include tooling and machine share because company has limited resources. Finally, practical case problem of flexible order scheduling in footwear industry is solved with the proposed scheduling model development by design multi objective function consist of minimizing penalty cost, minimizing makespan, maximizing line efficiency and minimizing total frequency of model changeover with the consideration of production resources availability. Result of order scheduling model development is order allocation and order sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrete event simulation (DES) is a powerful tool for better decision-making. Its application can be found in almost every sector ranging from industrial to services. However, the cost of commercial DES tools sometimes makes them unaffordable for small and medium enterprises. On the other hand, the open-source DES requires good programming knowledge for model customization. This paper presents the development of the DES tool specifically for production and assembly line simulation. The developed tool known as Discrete Event Simulation for Assembly Line (DESIMAL) is flexible enough to support different types of the assembly line. Testing and validation have been conducted using an industrial case study. The result indicated that the developed DESIMAL has similar output with a small error margin (1.08% – 3.60%) compared with commercial DES software. In comparison with real problem output, DESIMAL obtained the result with an error of less than 5%. Therefore, the developed DESIMAL has been validated as an acceptable tool for assembly line simulation. The main contribution of this work is an establishment of DES tool for assembly line simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and configuration analysis of 11 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) dual robotic arm. The analysis is via Denavit Hartenberg approach. The design is built to solve the current challenges faced by industry in term of workspace optimization and cost reduction with respect to the complexity of tasks required. These particular parts are performed by human labours in production assembly nowadays in industry due to the higher accuracy and better performance of human labour in term of speed which is required due to the nature of the tasks performed. The structural design is built using SolidWorks and then the frame structure and configuration is performed using Robotics Toolbox (RTB) in MATLAB, followed by the analysis of the workspace. The analysed results shown an improvement in term of performed tasks' complexity and optimization in workspace required by 43.4% minimization in term of horizontal area, in addition to significant reduction in collision chances between arms. In general, the project provided a suitable replacement for two single robotic articulated arms in assembly line in industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new modeling approach called Progressive Modeling (PM) and demonstrates it by solving the Assembly Line Balancing Type II (ALBP-II) problem. PM introduces some new concepts that make the modeling process of large-scale complex industrial problems more systematic and their solution algorithms much faster and easily maintained. In the context of SALBP-II, PM introduces a component model to deploy the problem logic and its solution algorithm into several interacting components. The problem is represented as an object-oriented graph G(V,E,W) of vertices, edges, and workstations which enables our solutions to start anywhere. The novel representation relaxes the only forward and backward tracking approach used in the assembly line balancing problems in the related literature. The developed problem analysis and solution algorithms demonstrate why the new modeling paradigm should be promising and capable of handling more complex real-world assembly balancing problems. A set of wellreported problems in the literature is reported and solved. The paper concludes by demonstrating the efficiency of the new modeling approach and future extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the implementation of Sustainable Value Stream Mapping in office furniture production lines. By using Sustainable Value Stream Mapping, problems in economic, environmental, and social aspects (Triple Bottom Line) can be visualized and presented properly. The efficiency of work in process, recycling of waste, safety rate of employees, and training rate of employees are included in the critical category. The proposed improvement plan is to transfer products in smaller batches, produce new products, use cut-resistant gloves, and regularly send employees for training every month. This improvement would increase the efficiency of work in process by 12.65%, the recycling of waste by 40.32%, the safety rate of employees by 42.86%, and the training rate of employees by 78.18%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process layout of any manufacturing facility plays a critical role in the level of effectiveness and efficiency that can be achieved. Process layout serves as a foundation for decisions taken by the manufacturer on issues such as competitive priorities, process strategy, quality, and capacity. The process layout varies from one manufacturer to the other based on the nature of work conducted and the products produced. The following paper benchmarks the different process layouts utilized by automotive companies within North America. The paper will rank the layout based on Jobs per Hour (JPH) and over speed efficiency. Layout information and data utilized in this paper are obtained from each of the facilities during a benchmarking study conducted in 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning factories allow both, students and professionals, to learn new approaches in production technology in practice. The transition from manual assembly to hybrid assembly towards an almost fully automated assembly can be arranged in learning factories in a practical way. Hybrid assembly specially shows a lot of potential, as it is designed to be adopted in situations with an increasing number of variants or customized products as well as the need for a scalable production system. In the modern view of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) in hybrid assembly systems, machines or robots are operating hand in hand with the human worker. This paper provides an approach to human-machine centered design of assembly systems and describes their implementation on a case study in the mini-factory laboratory of the Free University of Bolzano. The paper describes a case study, where a previously only manually produced product is produced in a hybrid assembly system in combination with a lightweight robot. As part of the man-machine interaction this work analyses risks for the safety of the human worker and provides appropriate measures. The work finally concludes with a summary and an outlook for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper includes an approach that concentrate on optimizing the plant layout and assembly line. The simulation studies in the industries have helped through a wide range of applications. Wire harness is a set of cables grouped together leading towards little bit complexity in the assembly line at the plant. Discrete event simulation is a tool to model the complex and large manufacturing systems consisting of resources and products like robots, machines, operators, storage device, which are logically and physically linked. This study has been carried out at the small-scale electrical industry in tier-2 city Hubballi, Karnataka, India. The analysis was conducted using the simulation software and the attached results have been obtained from the simulation experiment. The bottlenecks and the loopholes were identified in the plant layout and the main aim was to improve the throughput and reduce the work in progress. These results were on the basis to propose a change in the existing plant layout and workstation station time reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lean six sigma has been a useful tool in improving production yield, services, and other business problems however when use on capacity improvement it is not yet defined. This paper is a case study on the implementation of lean six sigma on capacity improvement as an advanced [what? method, process etc.?] in manufacturing plants. This case study capitalizes on the data collected in an advanced manufacturing factory. As such, different methods of data analysis are required for the more given data such as Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). AHP was able to list the possible options in improving capacity as well as the impact of each option on the overall weekly output of the production line. As highlighted by AHP, improvement of machine cycle-time is the top option that gives the most impact on increasing weekly output. Root-cause analysis is used to dig deeper into the root cause of each factor identified from AHP. Thorough bottleneck identification using blueprint diagrams is carried out. Through the implementation of the DMAIC method, the capacity improves and the effectiveness of lean six sigma on capacity improvement was verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike manual assembly operations, reviewed research revealed that lean techniques have less potential when applied to automated production lines that are typically balanced with minimum human interaction. This paper explores the lean application to a fully automated production process of irrigation plastic pipes. The study first analyzes the automatic process flow, assesses its leanness, and utilizes Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and simulation to estimate its current state performance. The study then applies a set of lean techniques that are most relevant to the automated process. The impact of lean application in terms of reduced waste and losses is assessed using simulation and presented in a future state VSM. Simulation was found to be effective tool when utilized for lean application to automated processes. Results showed an overall process improvement in terms of pull strategy, product quality, and reduced changeover and the overall order lead-time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the improvement efforts to increase the major performance indicator of the production lines in a chewing gum confectionery. Extensive knowledge of the system under study was acquired through the analysis of the current situation of the system and all the variables involved. With this analysis, it was possible to determine the most influential root causes that prevented a better performance. Having identified the main four root causes, six different strategies were designed and established, which were implemented with their respective control method. The results of the case showed that after only the four months of the project, an increase of 9.45% in the performance indicator was achieved; resulting in a historical record of production rate in the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of green manufacturing process in food industries is currently a hot research topic in the multidisciplinary area of applied chemistry, biology and technology. Several process such as freezing, cutting, drying, tempering, bleaching, sterilization, extraction and filtering have been applied efficiency in the food industry. Due to the rapid development of food and peripheral technology, the use of new physical processing or auxiliary processing methods can maintain food inherent nutrients, texture, color and freshness and also reduce environmental pollution and energy consumption in food processing. Hence, this review paper will study and summarize the effects of green manufacturing process in food industries in term of waste reduction, materials and sustainability manufacturing. In any case, All the food processing equipment must comply with strict standards and regulation, this action will ensure the securing the food quality and safety of food products to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some automobile factories have segmented mixed-model production lines into shorter sub-lines according to part group, such as engine, trim, and powertrain. The effects of splitting a line into sub-lines have been reported from the standpoints of worker motivation, productivity improvement, and autonomy based on risk spreading. There has been no mention of the possibility of shortening the line length by altering the product sequence using sub-lines. The purpose of the present paper is to determine the conditions under which sub-lines reduce the line length and the degree to which the line length may be shortened. The line lengths for a non-split line and a line that has been split into sub-lines are compared using three methods for determining the working area, the standard closed boundary, the optimized open boundary, and real-life constant-length stations. The results are discussed by analyzing the upper and lower bounds of the line length. Based on these results, a procedure for deciding whether or not to split a production line is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research work, a current automotive system of the Big-Three facility has been analyzed for the purpose of improvement. Analyzing the system lead to developing a modeling representation using computer software platform, which provides an ability for baseline tests. A set of experimentation has been conducted to discover the inefficiency that is currently involved in assembly process-lines of the automotive system and how detrimental can be to the company. Current lean strategies and production principles have been applied to eliminate waste and increase the total efficiency of the system. Results analysis based on different models shows that by eliminating the double-handling currently existed in the system, it ultimately creates more efficiency and productivity for the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart Manufacturing is a goal to be achieved, and the most advanced manufacturing approaches are being used to pursue this objective. Within this context, industry development aims to attain an intelligent manufacturing using, for example, virtual models that simulate production lines. This paper presents the architecture of a Digital Twin for emulating the rolls replacement process within a wire rod rolling mill. The model is developed in Python, using a backtracking algorithm to select the suitable set of rolls as a first basic approach for the validation of the system. It may be used in the future to improve the production system automating the decision for the replacement of rolls as alternative to the current human-decision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the Supply Chain, satisfy the customer's expectations in terms of quality and deadlines, and improve the internal management of its resources, many manufacturing companies, works perpetually for the implementation of improvement and corrective actions to reduce quality defects and limit customer complaints. To ensure a good quality of the product, it is necessary to act on several parameters such as the diversity of the types of products produced on the same line and this, by elaborating an optimized planning of the production and by ensuring a sequencing of the references which maximizes the efficiency and minimizes quality defects. This paper, therefore, is concerned with the daily planning of production based on a mathematical model that minimizes the difference in product production times in order to maintain optimal speed of the line. As a result of this mathematical model, we get two decision variables: the quantity to be produced by each shift and the order of production per shift per reference, those results will help the planner to avoid shortage on the customer side and the producer to improve the KPIs related to the output quantity and the defaults percentage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production planning involves scheduling a series of operations in a factory to produce products on time. However, with the current increasing trend of customer demands for customisation where many variations are required, production scheduling is becoming increasingly difficult. High-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing plays significant role to satisfy this trend since it has flexibility through automation to produce many different products in small quantities. Yet, such automated factories are prone to irregular events (e.g. line stoppages, machine breakdowns), making it a challenge to keep production activities on schedule. It is therefore important to consider irregular events as early as possible in the production planning stage to mitigate their impact. This paper proposes a delay prediction based on survival analysis to predict irregular events and calculate the disruptions so that they can be anticipated through the generation of robust production plans which can be executed at any time. This approach can reduce production losses due to production delays caused by irregular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A company's ability to manage supply chain resilience is a valuable consideration, especially during pandemics such as COVID-19. For this reason, researchers are increasingly interested in supply chain resilience, particularly in the manufacturing industry, during emerging situations. This study provides insight into the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the automotive industry. This paper examines three years of data from an assembly line that produces 500 cars per day, analyzes the impact of the spread of the virus on the efficiency of the assembly line, and suggests improvements to strengthen the assembly line resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the reduction of downtime in key operations. It also addresses the continuous improvement in the process without modifying the process flow, applying the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) methodology. In which the information of this work will be focused, explaining the activities to be developed to improve the cycle time in the production line and at the same time to be able to cover the new customer demand. It includes in a general way the necessary validation process of the product, objectives delimited by the norms and regulations for the manufacture of medical products are raised. Engineering studies are presented in detail to determine parameters, validations to ensure equipment installations, a protocol with its respective report where statistical studies of capacity and stability of critical processes are shown. As part of the objectives, capacity was increased by 60% in the production line, reducing the cycle time of operations and eliminating bottlenecks through the implementation of new equipment and ergonomic improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result from the ever increasing demand to produce lighter vehicles, more and more advanced high-strength materials are used in automotive industry. Focusing on sheet metal cold forming processes, these materials require high pressing forces and exhibit large springback after forming. Due to the high pressing forces deformations occur in the tooling geometry, introducing dimensional inaccuracies in the blank and potentially impact the final springback behavior. As a result the tool deformations can have an impact on the final assembly or introduce cosmetic defects. Often several iterations are required in try-out to obtain the required tolerances, with costs going up to as much as 30% of the entire product development cost. To investigate the sheet metal part feasibility and quality, in automotive industry CAE tools are widely used. However, in current practice the influence of the tool deformations on the final part quality is generally neglected and simulations are carried out with rigid tools to avoid drastically increased calculation times. If the tool deformation is analyzed through simulation it is normally done at the end of the drawing prosses, when contact conditions are mapped on the die structure and a static analysis is performed to check the deflections of the tool. But this method does not predict the influence of these deflections on the final quality of the part. In order to take tool deformations into account during drawing simulations, ESI has developed the ability to couple solvers efficiently in a way the tool deformations can be real-time included in the drawing simulation without high increase in simulation time compared to simulations with rigid tools. In this paper a study will be presented which demonstrates the effect of tool deformations on the final part quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the reduction of downtime in key operations. It also addresses the continuous improvement in the process without modifying the process flow, applying the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) methodology. In which the information of this work will be focused, explaining the activities to be developed to improve the cycle time in the production line and at the same time to be able to cover the new customer demand. It includes in a general way the necessary validation process of the product, objectives delimited by the norms and regulations for the manufacture of medical products are raised. Engineering studies are presented in detail to determine parameters, validations to ensure equipment installations, a protocol with its respective report where statistical studies of capacity and stability of critical processes are shown. As part of the objectives, capacity was increased by 60% in the production line, reducing the cycle time of operations and eliminating bottlenecks through the implementation of new equipment and ergonomic improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simulation is a technique which allows for the transfer of reality into the computer, through the creation of a model that reliably mirrors the behavior of a process (already existent or in its project phase). The work presented in this paper consists of the development of a decision-making support system, based on a real problem, with the purpose of optimizing the operation of an automobile assembly line with a four closed-loop network configuration. This layout system reflects one of the most common configurations of automobile assembly and preassembly lines formed by conveyors. A simulation model in an Arena environment was developed, which allowed for an analysis of the important aspects not yet studied in specialized literature, namely the assessment of the impact of the production sequence on the automobile assembly line. Various sequence rules were analyzed and the performance of each of the corresponding simulation models was registered. An experiment technique design was used in order to obtain the functions that describe the assembly system's behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work presented in this paper consists of the development of a decision-making support system, based on discrete-event simulation models, of an automobile assembly line which was implemented within an Arena simulation environment and focused at a very specific class of production lines with a four closed-loop network configuration. This layout system reflects one of the most common configurations of automobile assembly and preassembly lines formed by conveyors. The sum of the number of pallets on the intermediate buffers, remains constant, except for the fourth closed-loop, which depends on the four-door car ratio (x) implemented between the door disassembly and assembly stations of the car body. Some governing equations of the four closed-loops are not compatible with the capacities of several intermediate buffers for certain values of variable x. This incompatibility shows how the assembly line cannot operate in practice for x< 0,37 and for x>0,97 in a stationary regime, due to the starvation phenomenon or the failure of supply to the machines on the production line. We have evaluated the impact of the pallet numbers circulating on the first closed-loop on the performance of the production line, translated into the number of cars produced/hour, in order to improve the availability of the entire manufacturing system for any value of x. Until the present date, these facts have not been presented in specialized literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well established benefits of composite materials are driving a significant shift in design and manufacture strategies for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Thermoplastic composites have advantages over the traditional thermosetting materials with regards to sustainability and environmental impact, features which are becoming increasingly pertinent in the aerospace arena. However, when sustainability and environmental impact are considered as design drivers, integrated methods for part design and product development must be developed so that any benefits of sustainable composite material systems can be assessed during the design process. These methods must include mechanisms to account for process induced part variation and techniques related to re-forming, recycling and decommissioning, which are in their infancy. It is proposed in this paper that predictive techniques related to material specification, part processing and product cost of thermoplastic composite components, be integrated within a Through Life Management (TLM) product development methodology as part of a larger strategy of product system modeling to improve disciplinary concurrency, realistic part performance, and to place sustainability at the heart of the design process. This paper reports the enhancement of digital manufacturing tools as a means of drawing simulated part manufacturing scenarios, real time costing mechanisms, and broader lifecycle performance data capture into the design cycle. The work demonstrates predictive processes for sustainable composite product manufacture and how a Product-Process-Resource (PPR) structure can be customised and enhanced to include design intent driven by 'Real' part geometry and consequent assembly. your paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the industrial environment, continuous improvement of manufacturing and assembly processes is essential. Higher and faster customer's expectations have resulted in an increased complexity of manufacturing systems. Data collection has become easier and simpler, which has made it possible to develop new methods while conventional ones can be operated more efficiently. This paper deals with the relationship between two traditional methods such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). Firstly, a literature review demonstrates scientific relevance. Secondly, the correlation between the contributor of OEE (availability, performance, quality) and the components of FMEA (severity, occurrence and detection) is revealed. The complex analysis includes more than seven years real data from an automotive semi-automatic assembly line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new generalization of the distributed parallel machine and assembly scheduling problem (DPMASP) with eligibility constraints referred to as the modified distributed parallel machine and assembly scheduling problem (MDPMASP) with eligibility constraints. Within this generalization, we assume that there are a set non-identical factories or production lines, each one with a set unrelated parallel machine with different speeds in processing them disposed to a single assembly machine in series. A set of different products that are manufactured through an assembly program of a set of components (jobs) according to the requested demand. Each product requires several kinds of jobs with different sizes. Beside that we also consider to the multi-objective problem (MOP) of minimizing mean flow time and the number of tardy products simultaneously. This is known to be NP-Hard problem, is important to practice, as the former criterions to reflect the customer's demand and manufacturer's perspective. This is a realistic and complex problem with wide range of possible solutions, we propose four simple heuristics and two metaheuristics to solve it. Various parameters of the proposed metaheuristic algorithms are discussed and calibrated by means of Taguchi technique. All proposed algorithms are tested by Matlab software. Our computational experiments indicate that the proposed problem and fourth proposed algorithms are able to be implemented and can be used to solve moderately-sized instances, and giving efficient solutions, which are close to optimum in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates a case study on simulation, modelling and analysis for X1 Motorcycles Model. In this research, a motorcycle assembly plant has been selected as a main place of research study. Simulation techniques by using Witness software were applied to evaluate the performance of the existing manufacturing system. The main objective is to validate the data and find out the significant impact on the overall performance of the system for future improvement. The process of validation starts when the layout of the assembly line was identified. All components are evaluated to validate whether the data is significance for future improvement. Machine and labor statistics are among the parameters that were evaluated for process improvement. Average total cycle time for given workstations is used as criterion for comparison of possible variants. From the simulation process, the data used are appropriate and meet the criteria for two-sided assembly line problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welding robots are extensively applied in the automotive assemblies and 'Spot Welding' is the most common welding application found in the auto stamping assembly manufacturing. Every manufacturing process is subject to variations - with resistance welding, these include; part fit up, part thickness variations, misaligned electrodes, variations in coating materials or thickness, sealers, weld force variations, shunting, machine tooling degradation; and slag and spatter damage. All welding gun tips undergo wear; an elemental part of the process. Though adaptive resistance welding control automatically compensates to keep production and quality up to the levels needed as gun tips undergo wear so that the welds remain reliable; the system cannot compensate for deterioration caused by the slag and spatter on the part holding fixtures, sensors, and gun tips. To cleanse welding robots of slag and spatter, dry-ice blasting has proven to be an effective remedy. This paper describes Spot welding process, analyses the slag and spatter formation during robotic welding of stamping assemblies, and concludes that the dry ice blasting process's utility in cleansing of welding robots in auto stamping plant operations is paramount and exigent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient ergonomic optimization can lead to a significant improvement in production performance and a considerable reduction of costs. In the present paper new model for ergonomic optimization is proposed. The new approach is based on the criteria defined by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and, adapted to Italian legislation. The proposed model provides an ergonomic optimization, by analyzing ergonomic relations between manual work in correct conditions. The model includes a schematic and systematic analysis method of the operations, and identifies all possible ergonomic aspects to be evaluated. The proposed approach has been applied to an automotive assembly line, where the operation repeatability makes the optimization fundamental. The proposed application clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the new approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is quantifying process or entire production line by considering three main losses named time losses, performance losses and quality defect. It provides the measure of equipment so that corresponding optimization could be done. However, OEE had tolerated with many lean wastes which could be 'invisible' under its tradition definition. This includes unnecessary production which was classified as operating time and the underestimated effect of change over time. These could be minimized via work measurement, method study and study of the work, which are under the study of Maynard's Operation Sequence Technique (MOST). This paper intends to quantify the lean waste in OEE from the perspective of method and work of an operation. Operations are analyzed in every single step using MOST and redesigning the work in favor of minimal non-value added activity in the operation or production. The OEE data before and after the study of work is computed and compared to examine its effect. It is expected to provide a new insight in implementing OEE at different way and stay beware of the assumptions in OEE to avoid any hidden waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apparel manufacturing is a labour intensive industry which is characterized by rapid product changes. Each time such changeover of product type occurs, it demands operator learning for the process to reach a steady-state. Higher the number of product type changes, higher the adverse impact of learning on the production performance. Purpose of this paper is to analyse and model this learning process in batch assembly (sewing) lines to improve the accuracy of forecasting, production planning and inventory control. For this purpose, empirical data of daily production efficiency is collected from a large scale apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka over a period of 8 months. Product types or styles are categorized as "Repeat Styles" or "New Styles" based on whether the operators have prior experience in assembling the product type or not. Modelling of learning curves for above two categories of styles was carried out separately, using nonlinear regression analysis. This analysis indicates that the hyperbolic learning curve models are the best fitted learning curve for both style categories with different parameter estimates. Models were validated for both style categories using a separate set of daily efficiency data from same sewing lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The life of industrial products is getting shorter due to the rapid evolution of technologies. Because of that, the creation of models that are interested in last part of the product's life are becoming extremely relevant. In recent years, many investments have been made in the recycling of raw materials and the reuse of End-Of-Life (EOL) products in order to reduce the waste of resources. Strategies of Design for Environment (DfE) have been searched and, for this reason, the Design for Disassembly (DfD) has become a fundamental phase in the product life cycle with the subsequent creation of design techniques aimed precisely at disassembly. Using this methodology, the designer can study and plan the optimal sequence which should be based on countless factors and criteria because there is not a straightforward path or a single combination of operations to follow. This paper describes and compares multiple disassembly methods based on minimum disassembly time with reference to a worm gear reducer. In particular, the component was made entirely on CAD (SolidWorks) and the sequences were applied in a virtual environment. In this way, it was possible to evaluate different algorithms and obtain the optimal disassembly sequence that minimize the overall disassembly time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide ANOVA study for thermal profile process of manufacturing Printed Circuit Boards (PCB). The thermal profile process controls the cycle time and temperature level of the oven, in other words, the solder joints have to reach the correct cycle time of the soldering temperature. Therefore, it is challenging to simultaneously control the temperatures in different zones with specific cycle time in each zone. The solder paste and components should be well-matched in the heating slope for each zone; the solder paste has different types and different manufacturers. Also, these variables (temperature and time in each zone) are interconnected and thus, result in good quality in solder joint; they also determine which variables are more significant to get good solder quality by using design of experiment (DOE). Minitab software will be used for DOE. The data of the research are collected from real assembly line of PCB. Obtaining a better yield via improving the time of the PCB assembly process is another aim of the research. Hence, the outcome to all of these attempts of optimizing the assembly line of PCB for continuous improvement is to deliver good quality products, reduce cost, and minimize the time of delivery and meet the customer expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of a line balancing problem is to assign the individual work elements to workstations so that all workers have an equal amount of work while simultaneously achieving the specified production rate of the line. This paper presents the implementation of assembly line balancing techniques to enhance the throughput of a hose assembly line. Various assembly line models such as Single Model Line (SML), Multi-Model Parallel Line (MMPL) and Mixed Model Line (MML) are compared and the most efficient model is implemented. Standard time, idle time and line efficiency were calculated considering scenarios of the above three models. It was found that mixed model assembly line was the most effective when compared to the other models. The standard time for the mixed model assembly line was calculated to be 593.59 seconds. Mixed model assembly line had an efficiency of 88% which would lead to enhanced productivity. It was recommended to set-up a new assembly line based on mixed model assembly line principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usefulness of the module optical analyzer when identifying module defects on production line is presented in this paper. Two different case studies performed with two different kind of CPV modules are presented to show the use of MOA both in IES-UPM and Daido Steel facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly plays an important role in product development, yet the growing number of product variants, smaller batch sizes, and shorter life cycles of products have led to demand on fast response reconfigurable assembly systems. Augmented Reality (AR) technology, a seamless interface between the real and virtual world, has been developed to enhance assembly design and planning by improving the interaction between user and product. To improve the usability of the state-of-the-art AR assembly systems in routine and ad hoc assembly activities, the natural interactive mechanisms between assembly operator, assembly components, and computer-generated contents being rendered are imperative. Specifically, both physical and virtual components should be incorporated into the AR assembly environment to interact with each other, in order to provide an immersive experience, such that the user can see the results of interaction in realtime. In this paper, an Integrated Augmented-Reality-assisted Assembly Environment (IARAE) is proposed to facilitate assembly simulation and planning. To enable physical-virtual interaction, a new method is proposed to model the contact process based on the reasoning function of assembly ontology. A prototype system has been established, and a case study of an automobile alternator assembly is presented to validate the feasibility of the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to carry out queuing analysis to examine multi-stage production line performance to facilitate more realistic resource planning. It is one of a few such studies to improve the performance of multiproduct multi-stage production lines. This work aims to help managers in improving the efficiency, effectiveness and selecting the most suitable policy for assembly systems. The paper adopts an analytical approach based on real life data from an international battery company producing battery covers for camera model EC-196. The battery production line consists of six independent workstations namely injection molding, first color spray, second color spray, ultra-violet (UV) station, assembly station and a packing workstation. The relevant data for each workstation was collected and the chi-squared goodness test was applied to determine the arriving and leaving distributions data of processing parts. Queuing analysis reported in this work provides a basis for estimating and analyzing production systems by measures such as utilization, percentage of idle workstation, number of batches in system, number of batches in queue, expected time spent in queue, and expected time spent in system. The comparison between results and standard data in the company showed an accuracy of 93.80%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balancing a production line, i.e., achieving a uniform flow through a line, has been the subject of much prior research. Ignall (1), in an article in the middle 1960's, describes and summarizes many balancing algorithms. The problem of balancing, however, still persists. It is the hypothesis of the authors that the weakness of many prior studies is researchers have assumed the production environment to be static rather than dynamic. It has been assumed that once a line is balanced it will remain in balance. The objective of this paper is to propose a "balancing-planning cycle" that overcome the problem of assuming the production environment to be static. The balancing cycle can be employed to resolve excess inventories prior to balancing and to rebalance a line when breakdowns, absenteeism, and process yields change. The structure of the balancing cycle is compared to the structure of the classical balancing approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]