4,122 research outputs found

    On the constrained economic design of control charts: a literature review

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    The economic design is an appealing approach to settle the design parameters of a control chart. Unfortunately, the economic models to design control charts have been scarcely implemented by quality practitioners due to the simplifying assumptions when representing the multifaceted complexity and constraints present within manufacturing and transactional environments. Although there has been an increasing scepticism about the economic models usefulness in practice, some recent studies proposed in literature face the problem of the control charts economic design from a new point of view: the objective is to achieve a well balanced trade-off between the operational and the statistical aspects. Under this perspective, the economic design problem can be intended in a broader sense as the constrained design of a SPC inspection procedure. This paper presents a discussion of some recent trends in the economic design stream of research and outlines the importance of considering the constraints related to SPC resources availability and modelling the occurrence of random shifts

    Evaluation of the HARDMAN comparability methodology for manpower, personnel and training

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    The methodology evaluation and recommendation are part of an effort to improve Hardware versus Manpower (HARDMAN) methodology for projecting manpower, personnel, and training (MPT) to support new acquisition. Several different validity tests are employed to evaluate the methodology. The methodology conforms fairly well with both the MPT user needs and other accepted manpower modeling techniques. Audits of three completed HARDMAN applications reveal only a small number of potential problem areas compared to the total number of issues investigated. The reliability study results conform well with the problem areas uncovered through the audits. The results of the accuracy studies suggest that the manpower life-cycle cost component is only marginally sensitive to changes in other related cost variables. Even with some minor problems, the methodology seem sound and has good near term utility to the Army. Recommendations are provided to firm up the problem areas revealed through the evaluation

    Feasibility study of an Integrated Program for Aerospace-vehicle Design (IPAD) system. Volume 1: Summary

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    An overview is provided of the Ipad System, including its goals and objectives, organization, capabilities and future usefulness. The systems implementation is also presented with operational cost summaries

    Manpower planning and cycle-time reduction of a labor-intensive assembly line

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    Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 49).The demand for Gas Lift Mandrels(GLM) in the oil and gas industry is expected to increase over the next few years, requiring Schlumberger's GLM assembly line to increase their manufacturing capacity. Given the labor-intensive nature of Schlumberger's GLM assembly line, other than implementing kaizens and purchasing more equipment, it is important to also consider manpower issues. This research analyzes manpower management issues in the GLM assembly line to meet the projected increase in customer demand over the next three years. A detailed time study was conducted to understand and characterize all processes in the assembly line, before manpower plans were drawn up for each year till 2013. Several manpower scheduling concepts were incorporated in the manpower plan, such as Job Rotation and Workforce Flexibility to optimize the rate of utilization, human performance and well-being. By clustering processes together, the labor utilization rate can be increased to more than ninety percent. A new position of grinders has also been proposed to assist in various grinding operations, in order to reduce the cycle times of processes, to help workers gain better focus in their work and to reduce the cost of labor.by Shao Chong Oh.M.Eng

    A Combined Fuzzy Goal Programming and Big-Bang Big-Crunch Algorithm for Workforce Optimisation with Facility Layout Consideration

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    Small scale enterprises constitute an important subset of manufacturing economy and the contribution of facility redesign in bridging the performance gaps in small-scale enterprises is necessary for enterprise growth and stability. In this paper, a bi-objective programming-based facility layout design problem is formulated. We minimise workforce costs and maximise efficiency improvement in a layout. We utilised fuzzy goal programming and big-bang big-crunch algorithm in generating a Pareto solution. The model was tested using a small-scale sachet water production enterprise data. Increase in finished goods area was 66.55% while reduction in total annual distance travelled in the facility was 48.22% when the proposed layout was compared with existing one. Reduction in annual cost of labour was 16.2%. The possibility of using work-centres with high number of interrelationship was confirmed using quality function deployment and Hurwicz criterion. The optimal workforce size was found to be 14 workers against the existing workforce strength of 18 workers. The study provides a framework upon which small-scale sachet water production factories can be designed for optimum performance

    Economical space power systems

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    A commercial approach to design and fabrication of an economical space power system is investigated. Cost projections are based on a 2 kW space power system conceptual design taking into consideration the capability for serviceability, constraints of operation in space, and commercial production engineering approaches. A breakdown of the system design, documentation, fabrication, and reliability and quality assurance estimated costs are detailed

    Optimization of the product design through Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and Analaytical Hierarchy Process (AHP): A case study in a ceramic washbasin

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    Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Industrial Design, Izmir, 2009Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 67-79)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishx, 81 leavesQFD is a methodology, which establishes a relationship between product and customer, determines product.s sales ability and carry out it to a high level during the process.In this study, QFD methodology, which is used in several industries, was implemented in the sanitary production industry. In this purpose, the washbasin, which is called as .Potsink. produced by Vitra, was chosen and examined implementation ability of the methodology. The aim for this choice is that Potsink.s design is different from usual washbasin forms and because of this reason, some sales problems would be appeared also there are some ergonomical and functional problems was observed.In the first step, which is developed by the customer.s voice, Analytic Hierarchy Process AHP was used. The relationship, which is between product and customer.s requirements, is determined by Analytic Hierarchy Process AHP.After this step, with customer requirements and technical details, which is matched with, are put in the house of quality (HoQ). Fallowing this step, improvement ratio and sales points are taken place in the house. Finally calculate all items and evaluated

    Arguments for a "U.S. Kamioka": SNOLab and its Implications for North American Underground Science Planning

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    We argue for a cost-effective, long-term North American underground science strategy based on partnership with Canada and initial construction of a modest U.S. Stage I laboratory designed to complement SNOLab. We show, by reviewing the requirements of detectors now in the R&D phase, that SNOLab and a properly designed U.S. Stage I facility would be capable of meeting the needs of North America's next wave of underground experiments. We discuss one opportunity for creating a Stage I laboratory, the Pioneer tunnel in Washington State, a site that could be developed to provide dedicated, clean, horizontal access. This unused tunnel, part of the deepest (1040 m) tunnel system in the U.S., would allow the U.S. to establish, at low risk and low cost, a laboratory at a depth (2.12 km.w.e., or kilometers of water equivalent) quite similar to that of the Japanese laboratory Kamioka (2.04 km.w.e.). We describe studies of cosmic ray attenuation important to properly locating such a laboratory, and the tunnel improvements that would be required to produce an optimal Stage I facility. We also discuss possibilities for far-future Stage II (3.62 km.w.e.) and Stage III (5.00 km.w.e.) developments at the Pioneer tunnel, should future North American needs for deep space exceed that available at SNOLab.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures; revised version includes discusion about neutrino-factory magic baseline
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