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Injection moulding is one of the most versatile and important operation for mass production of plastic parts. In this process, cooling system design is very important as it largely determines the cycle time. A good cooling system design can reduce cycle time and achieve dimensional stability of the part. This paper describes a new square sectioned conformal cooling channel system for injection moulding dies. Both simulation and experimental verification have been done with these new cooling channels system. Comparative analysis has been done for an industrial part, a plastic bowel, with conventional cooling channels using the Moldflow simulation software. Experimental verification has been done for a test plastic part with mini injection moulding machine. Comparative results are presented based on temperature distribution on mould surface and cooling time or freezing time of the plastic part. The results provide a uniform temperature distribution with reduced freezing time and hence reduction in cycle time for the plastic part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its inception in the 1980s, mass customization has seen a mixed response both from the industry and researchers alike. In this work, we take a look at the current state of art in research in the area of mass customization. We investigate the possible reasons for the widening gap between research in the field and its implementation in the industry. We conclude by presenting potential directions for future work in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the production planning process, two main objectives are satisfying customer demand and achievement of the lowest cost which are sometimes incompatible aims. The increase of inventory level, for example, may result in increase of customer demand; although the holding costs are often at very high level, so the total cost is not estimated at minimum level. Focusing on the minimal cost may cause failing to supply the customer demand and its consequence is loss for the company. In the present research, the situation is named as ''inventory shortage''. The main objective is to develop production planning model of Foulad Azarbayjan Company at Iran assuming inventory limited capacity and permissible storage shortage (backorder). In the line with the main objective, following results are obtained: (1) optimal production rate at the beginning and ending of each period, (2) minimal total cost,(3) inventory optimal level at the beginning of period, and (4) optimal back order rate. In the present research, data gathering and analysis were undertaken using steel industry's connoisseurs and expert's opinions in the field of production planning and model formulation was according to the dynamic programming method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the practical use of the 5S Checklist for environment, housekeeping and health, as well as safety improvement purposes at two manufacturing organizations. The main objective of this study is to assess the implementation of 5S and development of the 5S Activity Checklist in manufacturing companies. The scope for this study covers the following areas: identifying problems, looking into critical success factors, their outcomes and recommendations. In addition, factors that may act as constraints to the implementation of the 5S activity and possible solutions for the industries are also identified through observation and evaluation of the improved environmental performance. The study is conducted using a systematic approach with specific software in order to get the most accurate results. In conclusion, effective implementation of the 5S activity depends on the commitment of the top level management, total involvement of the staff at all levels within the company, function and background of the business, publicity given to the 5S activity and finally the training conducted for the organisation in implementing the 5S practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequence-dependent setup times can have a major influence on manufacturing systems performance. Although much investigation has been given to this issue, the role of setup savings from the perspective of the workload control concept has hardly received attention. This paper reports a simulation study on this matter. The study evaluates the potential for savings in setups, dependent on the level of workload in the shop, for two alternative strategies, namely considering setup times centrally, within the release decision or locally, within the dispatching decision. These strategies are compared and assessed on the basis of two performance measures: time in system and standard deviation of job lateness. Results show that shop configuration is an important factor to choose the strategy to adopt. Moreover, the level of workload is also critical performance of the strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses an automated guided vehicle system which is embedded in a multi-product, multi-line, multi-stage flexible manufacturing system. Three different guide path configurations have been developed for this study and the performance of the manufacturing system has been discussed from the perspective of these configurations. The system has been modeled through coloured Petri net method and some of the results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]