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The key dynamic in supporting an efficient and effective new product introduction is the nature of the exchange of information between the functions of manufacturing engineering and design engineering. This paper describes a study of this dynamic with particular regard to the role of manufacturing engineering in developing robust production process for the design intent. This study reports related work in this area and establishes the views of participants concerning product introduction process at a major aerospace manufacturer. It is found that integration between the manufacturing and design function driven by communication of qualitative data has brought benefit to the process in terms of quality cost and time. However, a stronger definition regarding the quality and usability of manufacturing process knowledge communicated to the design function is required for more effective and efficient new product introduction in the shortening timescales of the changing industrial environment.

This paper presents a new method of process control for set-up dominant processes. This new method known as Set-up Process Algorithm (SUPA) was compared with existing industrial practices and statistical techniques in the literature. To test the method’s robustness, a generic discrete-event simulation model was built. This model was used to test four different statistical approaches to process control. It was concluded that SUPA offers a method of process control for set-up dominant processes, which is easier to apply than classically derived SPC approaches, by using simple rules and a traffic light system based on design specification. Simulation analysis shows that SUPA: is more sensitive, at detecting an incapable process as it will monitor more units when a process is less capable; is more sensitive than PRE-Control at detecting mean shifts in a process. SUPA is also a nonparametric methodology and therefore robust against processes with non-Gaussian distributions.

The Configuration Optimisation of Next-Generation Aircraft (CONGA) is a proposed framework in a response to industrial need to enhance the aerospace capability in the UK. In order to successfully address this challenge, a need to develop a true multi-disciplinary Set-Based Design (SBD) capability that could deploy new technologies on novel configurations more quickly and with greater confidence was identified. This paper presents the first step towards the development of the SBD capabilities which is to elicit the industrial requirement of the SBD process for the key aerospace industrial partners involved in this CONGA approach.

The need of applying lean thinking to product development is becoming a must for the organisations to success in the current industry. This paper presents a tool that helps to define the actual status of the organisations in relation to the lean principles. Extensive literature highlighted the need of developing a tool focused on assessing the implementation of lean principles themselves, rather than quantitate metrics. Based on the Balanced Scorecard, four perspectives, with corresponding set of questions, were defined reflecting the enablers of the product development model proposed by the LeanPPD European project. A five-level scale was customised to score the different readiness levels that define the transformation into a full lean implementation. The tool was used to assess the current and desired lean situation of an aerospace company within the research environment and resulted to be accurate to define the starting condition of the company to adopt leaner practices.

This thesis analyses the effectiveness of the current process structure across the main Rolls-Royce measurement capability groups, namely: Manufacturing, Material and Chemical Evaluation, Testing, and Sensing for Control and Monitoring, in terms of measurement activities, compliance with key attributes and requirements of International Standards related to measurement and compliance with the internal and external regulations for civil aerospace products. An analysis of the impact of introducing the generic measurement process was also performed, qualitatively to consider the overall risks of introducing a generic measurement process and changing the current methods, and quantitatively to assess the risks of failure of the proposed key attributes gathered from the research and interviews, of the generic measurement process through the Process Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (PFMEA). The research methodology consists of four phases, including data collection through interviews of key contacts within the measurement community across Rolls-Royce, analysis of the current measurement processes or Group Procedures, definition of key attributes for the generic measurement process structure, analysis of the risks and finally validation. The research strategy followed was based on qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews, review of technical documentation, quality audits, international standards and regulations were used to obtain the information required. The major benefit of the developed analysis is to set the requirements both internally and externally to include in a proposed Generic Measurement Process, have an indication of the readiness level of the four measurement capabilities to adopt this process and analyse the risks, both globally of introducing the process, and the risk of failure and effect of the proposed attributes. Keywords: Generic Measurement Process, Measurement Uncertainty, Product Lifecycle, Measurement Capability, Measurement System Outgoing