Pinion Process Improvement at Primetals Technologies

The objective of this MQP was to reduce PrimetalsÂ’ cycle and setup times for pinions at workstation WWC1 by 20%. The rationale for this project was derived from Primetals identifying WWC1 as the bottleneck in their value stream for pinion manufacturing. Methods used were axiomatic design, lean manufacturing, and the design of a custom gage for pinion OD inspection. Proposed solutions resulted in a 16% and 37% decrease in total cycle time and setup time per pinion, respectively. This total reduction in cycle and setup times freed up valuable capacity, allowing for the potential production of 120 more pinons per year. Assuming demand exists for the additional pinions, this could increase yearly pinion sales revenue by up to $1.2 million with current available resources

Manufacturing Capacity Simulation at Primetals Technologies

The objective of this MQP was to provide Primetals Technologies with a better understanding of their current manufacturing floor capacity. The team created a capacity simulation focusing on horizontal machining centers, and the Roll Housing manufacturing process. The methods used were company data, axiomatic design, direct observations, and process simulation. The team approached the problem by a hierarchical problem solving method, by the development of a process simulation in Rockwell’s ARENA® program. The team concluded that Primetals could know how their production system would respond under different changes in demand with a higher degree of accuracy. The team’s financial analysis shed light on the cost to the company of making real time changes to the production schedule

CAD Based Electric Transporter Path Planning and Production Storage Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm – Industrial Case Study

Štore Steel Ltd. is one of the largest flat spring steel producers in Europe. There are two production lines after rolling – one for flat bars and the other for round bars. The flat bars production generally consists of visual examination, straightening and cutting operation. In addition, heat treatment or magnetic particle testing could be conducted. On the other hand, the round bars production consists generally of straightening, automatic control line control, chamfering and cutting. In addition, heat treatment is possible. For manipulation of the material in the rolling plant, the electric transporter and several cassettes are used. In the paper path planning and production storage optimization (i.e. storage spaces for cassettes) were conducted using genetic algorithm. The production storage is actually the space between main transport passage and individual operations. In the research the universal system using CAD geometry is presented where AutoCAD environment and in-house developed AutoLISP system were used. The production storage – storage spaces for cassettes (location and orientation) with corresponding electric transporter trajectories are represented as CAD objects and thus form individual solution/organism. The organisms undergo simulated evolution. The results of the evolution are compared with actual production storage in the steel plant

Simulation modeling as a tool for assessing the impact of inventory control and scheduling policies in the manufacturing of specialty steel

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (p. 92).by Thomas Besson.M.S

Layout Improvement and Tool Change Optimization at Primetals

The objective of this Major Qualifying Project (MQP) was: to reduce setup and tool changeover times for products machined at Horizontal Machining Center 6 (HMC6), and to evaluate and improve the layout and flow of the Manufacturing Assembly Area 71 (A71M). The methods used include observations and interviews, axiomatic design, lean manufacturing, and linear programming. The team concluded that Primetals Technologies (Primetals) could more efficiently change tools on HMC6 and can save time on part assemblies at A71M. A financial analysis of the report showed that lean implementation can save Primetals roughly $12,000 -$22,000 annually, and an optimized tool changeover process can save Primetals $57,000 -$126,000 per year

MODELING, SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS OF AN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM USING ARENA SOFTWARE

The objective of this project is to develop a model, simulate and analysis a manufacturing system using ARENA The scope of study is focusing on an automotive manufacturer, specifically on the automotive part component stamping line. The aim is to provide the best method to improve the workstation process efficiency and to ascertain its limitations and problems to achieve production target. The procedures include data gathering, model building, simulation, verification, and validation and performance analysis. To improve understanding about ARENA, a case study is carried out to make a simple simulation model. Then the model is simulated using the actual stamping productions data gathered which include the production index daily, process specification, parameters, production schedule and machine breakdown. The output of the simulation is generated in a form of report. The report is organized into sections which summarized across all replications. The results show that the percentage error of ARENA model is less than 5% as targeted. This model would be used as a decision support system for the investigation of improving the process by implementing several decisions like line balancing and simplifYing operation. "What-if" analysis is applied to give a review on the decision is presented. The findings confirm the qualitative behaviour of the manufacturing system in response to the different decision options

NASA SBIR abstracts of 1991 phase 1 projects

The objectives of 301 projects placed under contract by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are described. These projects were selected competitively from among proposals submitted to NASA in response to the 1991 SBIR Program Solicitation. The basic document consists of edited, non-proprietary abstracts of the winning proposals submitted by small businesses. The abstracts are presented under the 15 technical topics within which Phase 1 proposals were solicited. Each project was assigned a sequential identifying number from 001 to 301, in order of its appearance in the body of the report. Appendixes to provide additional information about the SBIR program and permit cross-reference of the 1991 Phase 1 projects by company name, location by state, principal investigator, NASA Field Center responsible for management of each project, and NASA contract number are included

Spinoff 1997: 25 Years of Reporting Down-to-Earth Benefits

The 25th annual issue of NASA's report on technology transfer and research and development (R&D) from its ten field centers is presented. The publication is divided into three sections. Section 1 comprises a summary of R&D over the last 25 years. Section 2 presents details of the mechanisms NASA uses to transfer technology to private industry as well as the assistance NASA provides in commercialization efforts. Section 3, which is the focal point of the publication, features success stories of manufacturers and entrepreneurs in developing commercial products and services that improve the economy and life in general

Introduction to Production: Philosophies, Flow, and Analysis

Production is a fundamental societal and economic activity. Production has to do with the transformation of raw materials into useful objects and includes the knowledge to complete the transformation effectively. Thus, production is a board topic ranging from philosophies about how to approach production such as lean and quick response manufacturing, how to organize production facilities, how to analyze production operations, how to control the flow of materials during production, the devices used to move materials within a facility, and strategies for coordinating multiple production facilities. An integrated introduction to production is presented in a set of learning modules. In significant part, these learning modules are based on over 20 years of interactions with the professional production community in the West Michigan region where Grand Rapids and Holland are the principal cities. This community consists almost exclusively of small and medium size companies engaged primarily in high mix, low volume manufacturing. Students in the Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Master of Science in Engineering programs at Grand Valley State University often work in production for these companies. Thus, interactions are facilitated particularly though master’s degree capstone projects, several of which are referenced in the learning modules. The learning modules are well-grounded in established production concepts. Emphasis is placed on proven procedures such as systematic layout planning, factory physics, various production flow control techniques such as kanban and POLCA, and discrete event simulation. Professional practice is a focus of the learning modules. Material from processional groups such as the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Material Handling Institute (MHI) is integrated. The opportunity to read and discuss professional publications presenting production improvement projects is provided. Students are referred to professional videos and web sites throughout the learning modules. All materials provided are referenced are open access and free of charge. When downloading the main file, it is important to also download and use the Main File Support as it contains supplemental materials.https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/books/1022/thumbnail.jp