Automation considerations for a manufacturing system

This thesis examines the present manufacturing system of Apollo Valve Company, a solenoid control valves manufacturing. After analyzing the present system, the automation considerations and proposed new system were recommended. Chapter 1 presenti the background material of automation and manufacturing system. The development of the automated factory is also included. The plant layout, organization, and departments functions of the present system are briefly described in the Chapter 2. Analysis of the present manufacturing system by the production volume, by plant layout, and by the manufacturing operations, is discussed in Chapter 3. Proposed automation considerations and improvements, such as group technology (GT), computer-aided process planning (CAPP), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), automatic assembly and testing, packing, and flexible manufacturing system (FMS), are presented in the Chapter 4. The last chapter, the conclusions are discussed and the new manufacturing system is recommended

Industry training organisations in changing times: New research possibilities

The tertiary education reforms have placed considerable pressure on Industry Training Organisations (ITOs), which are now required to assume “new roles as strategic leaders in skills and training needs for the industries under their coverage" (Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities (STEP) 2003-04, P. 21). This paper argues that the STEP requirement can lead to productive relationships between ITOs and established research organizations. It considers the new context within which ITOs now operate and offers an illustrative case study of the sort of research that can result from collaborative relationships. Specifically, it reports on research commissioned by the New Zealand Industry Training Organisation (NZITO), which covers dairy manufacturing, meat processing, and leather processing, as part of' its strategic planning. The research reported includes: an analysis of the industries covered by the NZITO and their economic significance; the impact of an ageing workforce and other demographic on the labour market and its Implications for NZJTO industries; the impact of technological change on the labour market; and some of the consequences of the continuing integration of the global economy

New motion control machine elements representation for mechatronic education

The paper presents a new proposal for representing machine designs involving motion control. The new mechatronic approach for machine design is moving from a mechanic concept where mechanical transmissions, mechanical gears and coupling etc. are being implemented by electronic coupling, gears, etc. New concepts such as electronic virtual axis are also being employed very often. This brings that, in regards with machine design communication, mechanic elements represented in the past by mechanical drawings are being replaced by new electronic concepts. However, these new electronic motion control concepts should be also represented for a full understanding of the machine behaviors. Drawings are a fundamental tool to communicate preliminary designs, both in an academic and education environments as in professional ones. The new mechatronic elements graphical representation presented in the paper has the objective of bringing the gap between a pure mechanical machine design view and an automated one, including new electronic motion control concepts, and remarking the relevant “mechanic” information from the electronic motion control point of view. All this should facilitate the presentation and explanation of system-based mechatronic designs both in the classroom and at the professional level

Considerations for a design and operations knowledge support system for Space Station Freedom

Engineering and operations of modern engineered systems depend critically upon detailed design and operations knowledge that is accurate and authoritative. A design and operations knowledge support system (DOKSS) is a modern computer-based information system providing knowledge about the creation, evolution, and growth of an engineered system. The purpose of a DOKSS is to provide convenient and effective access to this multifaceted information. The complexity of Space Station Freedom's (SSF's) systems, elements, interfaces, and organizations makes convenient access to design knowledge especially important, when compared to simpler systems. The life cycle length, being 30 or more years, adds a new dimension to space operations, maintenance, and evolution. Provided here is a review and discussion of design knowledge support systems to be delivered and operated as a critical part of the engineered system. A concept of a DOKSS for Space Station Freedom (SSF) is presented. This is followed by a detailed discussion of a DOKSS for the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Work Package-2 portions of SSF

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) in construction: the old and the new

Design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) has become a buzzword amid the global resurgence of prefabrication and construction industrialization. Some argued that DfMA is hardly new, as there are concepts such as buildability, lean construction, value management, and integrated project delivery in place already. Others believe that DfMA is a new direction to future construction. This paper aims to review the development of DfMA in manufacturing and its status quo in construction, and clarify its similarities and differences to other concepts. A multi-step research method is adopted in this study: First, an analytical framework is generated; Secondly, a literature review is conducted on DfMA in general, and DfMA-like concepts in the AEC industry; The third step is to compare DfMA with related concepts. This study reveals that DfMA as a philosophy is hardly new in construction, and the empirical implementation of many DfMA guidelines has begun in the AEC industry. The findings suggested that DfMA is a new and mixed ‘cocktail’ of opportunities and challenges to improve construction productivity with the advancement of construction materials, production and assembly technologies, and ever-strengthened logistics and supply chain management. This study sheds light on three research directions: DfMA implementation and guidance strategies, DfMA frameworks and blueprints, and applications in cast in-situ or intermediate prefabrication construction. Our research findings provide a synopsis of DfMA research and development in construction. This paper can also serve as a point of departure for future theoretical and empirical explorations

Industry 4.0 Innovations in Construction: Proposal of a Maturity Model

The dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, better known as Industry 4.0, is set to enable global networks of machines and equipment in an environment of smart factories, capable of instantly exchanging information in an independent manner and having the Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems as backbone for an autonomous operation. Great gains in productivity and flexibility are expected, which tend to intensify global competitiveness, promote social changes and economic development, besides stimulating new academic works, such as the proposal of models capable of identifying the maturity level of an organization in this context. Therefore, the present work proposes a maturity model to measure the maturity level of civil construction companies regarding the adoption of technologies and practices of Industry 4.0. Based on a systematic literature review, the proposed model was built from existing maturity models and their characteristics and relevant components. The model is supported by a elaborated questionnaire of twenty-three questions considering four dimensions (Technology, Organization, People and Sustainability) which was submitted to seven different companies in the city of Manaus/Brazil. The results after the practical application of the model showed that most companies had a low level of adoption of Industry 4.0 principles and there is plenty of room for improvement

The Future of Making: Where Industrial and Personal Fabrication Meet

This one-day workshop seeks to reflect on the notion of fab- rication in both personal and industrial contexts. Although these contexts are very distinct in their economical and polit- ical vision, they share important characteristics (e.g., users interacting with specific fabrication equipment and tools). The workshop topic spans from personal fabrication to (au- tomated) production, from applied to theoretical considera- tions, from user requirements to design as a crafting practice. We will address changes in production that affect humans, e.g., from mass production to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) produc- tion, in order to discuss findings and lessons learned for in- dividual and collective production workplaces of the future. We aim to explore the intersections between different dimen- sions and processes of production ranging all the way from hobbyist to professional making. Furthermore, the workshop will critically reflect on current developments and their conse- quences on personal, societal, and economical levels includ- ing questions of the reorganization of work and labor, inno- vation cultures, and politics of participation.