The Review of Mark Planning Problem

Mark planning is one of the most important planning processes in garment industry. The major function is to generate a set of markers which is used as cutting guidelines or cutting templates in a cutting process. In other words, this process can be seen as a planning step of a cutting process which determines what sequence and how many parts will be cut. For the academic point of view, mark planning has been of interests for more than 15 years. Many papers were published with various objective functions, problem scenarios, and constraints. Therefore, a summarization of these papers representing key contents of each paper will be useful for researchers who are interested in this type of problem. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an exhaustive review of mark planning papers which is composed of three sections: the relevant background, the summary of papers, and the relationship between objective functions which is cost combinations and major garment characteristics. In conclusion, future researches should go forward the trend of integration between this process and other relevant processes in the production chain, e.g. cut scheduling, assembly planning, marker making

Assembly Line

An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product in the fastest possible way. It is a flow-oriented production system where the productive units performing the operations, referred to as stations, are aligned in a serial manner. The present edited book is a collection of 12 chapters written by experts and well-known professionals of the field. The volume is organized in three parts according to the last research works in assembly line subject. The first part of the book is devoted to the assembly line balancing problem. It includes chapters dealing with different problems of ALBP. In the second part of the book some optimization problems in assembly line structure are considered. In many situations there are several contradictory goals that have to be satisfied simultaneously. The third part of the book deals with testing problems in assembly line. This section gives an overview on new trends, techniques and methodologies for testing the quality of a product at the end of the assembling line

Optimal Configuration of Inspection and Rework Stations in a Multistage Flexible Flowline

Inspection and rework are two important issues of quality control. In this research, an N-stage flowline is considered to make decisions on these two issues. When defective items are detected at the inspection station the items are either scrapped or reworked. A reworkable item may be repaired at the regular defect-creating workstation or at a dedicated off-line rework station. Two problems (end-of-line and multistage inspections) are considered here to deal with this situation. The end-of-line inspection (ELI) problem considers an inspection station located at the end of the line while the multistage inspection (MSI) problem deals with multiple in-line inspection stations that partition the flowline into multiple flexible lines. Models for unit cost of production are developed for both problems. The ELI problem is formulated for determining the best decision among alternative policies for dealing with defective items. For an MSI problem a unit cost function is developed for determining the number and locations of in-line inspection stations along with the alternative decisions on each type of defects. Both of the problems are formulated as fractional mixed-integer nonlinear programming (f-MINLP) to minimize the unit cost of production. After several transformations the f-MINLP becomes a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem. A construction heuristic, coined as Inspection Station Assignment (ISA) heuristic is developed to determine a sub-optimal location of inspection and rework stations in order to achieve minimum unit cost of production. A hybrid of Ant-Colony Optimization-based metaheuristic (ACOR) and ISA is devised to efficiently solve large instances of MSI problems. Numerical examples are presented to show the solution procedure of ELI problems with branch and bound (B&B) method. Empirical studies on a production line with large number of workstations are presented to show the quality and efficiency of the solution processes involved in both ELI and MSI problems. Computational results present that the hybrid heuristic ISA+ACOR shows better performance in terms of solution quality and efficiency. These approaches are applicable to many discrete product manufacturing systems including garments industry

Productivity improvement in a company of the industry of bolting systems

Nowadays, the companies face an extreme need of having high levels of productivity (P) in order to survive in the market`s competition. In this context, this work was performed in the production department of alki Technik GmbH, a company that operates in the field of bolting systems, making production of tools in a make-to-order (MTO) basis, and services as well. The work had the main aims of measurement of the production performance in terms of its P level and establishment of strategies to reach its improvement. The first phase of the work was focused in obtaining the necessary elements to measure the real levels of P in a weekly basis, which are the inputs (IN) in terms of time capacity and the outputs (OUT) in terms of time with production of tools and execution of services. After found ways to properly quantify IN and OUT, the P started to be observed and after the first three weeks, the observed Ps were considered too low for what the company needs, and it was also confirmed when compared with P levels presented in another studies. Some improvement methods were implemented, such as, a Visual Management (VM) method, which consisted in establishing each Friday a map with a work plan for the following week and placing it in the workshop, and Kaizen philosophy in terms of asking the employees about activities of their daily work that they considered that could be optimized to proceed with its analysis as Kaizen Optimizations (KOs), in order to find optimization solutions. A total of six KOs were proposed, being the time saving estimate of 101 hours per year. One of the KOs was immediate implemented, as well as the VM method, and the following three weeks showed P improvement, with the observed indexes of 59,2%, 52,1% and 58,3% respectively, when on previous weeks the highest observed value had been 43,7%. Finally, it was made the analysis of the workshop`s layout, as facility layouts play also a huge role in the productive performance, through the Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) method in order optimize the flows. From this analysis, two optimization alternatives (OAs) were designed. OA1, where a few changes are proposed without extra costs have been estimated a cost reduction with flows of 5,94% OA2, where some further changes are proposed, being in this case the estimated costs reduction with flows of 20,3%. However, this last OA would carry costs of its implementation. The conclusions highlight the P improvement achieved through this work. Further improvement was left through the KOsfor the process and OAsfor the workshop layout.As empresas, hoje em dia, enfrentam uma necessidade extrema de ter altos níveis de produtividade (P) para sobreviverem na competição do mercado. Nexte contexto, foi realizado este trabalho no departamento de produção da alki TECHNIK GmbH, empresa que opera na área dos sistemas de aparafusamento, fazendo produção de ferramentas numa base de produção para encomenda (MTO), e também serviços. O trabalho teve como principais objetivos medir o desempenho da produção em termos de P, e estabelecimento de estratégias para alcançar a sua melhoria. Inicialmente o trabalho centrou-se na obtenção dos elementos necessários para medir os níveis reais de P numa base semanal, que são as entradas (IN) em termos de capacidade de tempo, e as saídas (OUT) em termos de tempo produtivo com produção de ferramentas e execução de serviços. Após encontradas formas para quantificar adequadamente IN e OUT, P começou a ser observado e, após as primeiras três semanas, os Ps observados foram considerados muito baixos para as necessidades da empresa, o que também se confirmou por comparação com níveis de P mencionados em outros estudos. Alguns métodos para melhoria foram implementados, como o método de Gestão Visual (VM), que consistiu em estabelecer a cada sexta-feira um mapa com um plano de trabalho para a semana seguinte, e coloca-lo na oficina, e a filosofia Kaizen em termos que questionar os funcionários sobre atividades do seu dia-dia que eles considerassem que pudessem ser otimizadas, a fim de proceder com a sua análise como optimizações Kaizen (KOs) e encontrar soluções de optimização. Um total de seis KOs foram propostas, sendo a estimativa de poupança de tempo de 101 horas por ano. Uma das KOs foi implementada de imediato, assim como o método de VM , e as três semanas seguintes revelaram uma melhoria de P, com os índices observados de 59,2%, 52,1% e 58,3%, respetivamente, quando nas semanas anteriores o valor mais alto observado havia sido 43,7%. Finalmente, foi feita uma análise ao layout da oficina, visto que os layouts também têm um papel fundamental no desempenho produtivo, através da metodologia Systematic Layout Planning (SLP), para optimizar os fluxos. Desta análise resultaram duas alternaticas de optimização (OAs): OA1, onde algumas alterações são propostas, sem envolver custos extra, tendo sido estimada uma redução de fluxos de 5,94%, e OA2, onde algumas alterações adicionais são propostas, sendo neste caso a redução de custos com fluxos estimada de 20,3%. Contudo, esta última OA envolve custos da sua implementação. As conclusões destacam a melhoria de P conseguida através deste trabalho, para além das oportunidades de melhoria adicional que foram deixadas através das KOs para o processo e das OAs para o layout da oficina

Applications of Virtual Reality

Information Technology is growing rapidly. With the birth of high-resolution graphics, high-speed computing and user interaction devices Virtual Reality has emerged as a major new technology in the mid 90es, last century. Virtual Reality technology is currently used in a broad range of applications. The best known are games, movies, simulations, therapy. From a manufacturing standpoint, there are some attractive applications including training, education, collaborative work and learning. This book provides an up-to-date discussion of the current research in Virtual Reality and its applications. It describes the current Virtual Reality state-of-the-art and points out many areas where there is still work to be done. We have chosen certain areas to cover in this book, which we believe will have potential significant impact on Virtual Reality and its applications. This book provides a definitive resource for wide variety of people including academicians, designers, developers, educators, engineers, practitioners, researchers, and graduate students

A creative journey developing an integrated high-fashion knitwear development process using computerized seamless v-bed knitting systems

This PhD applied a participatory action research approach to address the organizational problems that compromise the use of computerized seamless V-bed knitwear systems in the high-fashion knitwear sector. The research is a response to a widely acknowledged conflict between high-fashion design processes and processes by which designs are developed on computerized seamless V-bed knitting systems. The social, organizational, and technical aspects of design and manufacturing using computerized seamless V-bed knitting technology in high-fashion knitwear design were analyzed as a socio-technical system (STS). This approach led to a review of the workflows, tasks and roles; identifying and testing new design and manufacturing processes, design methods, and garment solutions; creating a theory model of a new integrated design process; and developing and testing new design processes, design methods, and fashion design education courses that teach these new fashion knitwear approaches.The research was undertaken using a Shima Seiki WholeGarment® system, a current computerized seamless V-bed knitting design and manufacturing technology. The studio workspace, yarn, use of the Shima Seiki system; involvement in fashion projects, and associate supervision were provided by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA).The research demonstrated a high-fashion knitwear designer can undertake all aspects of managing computerized seamless V-bed knitwear design and production to the completion of 1st sample, the first successful sample of a new fabric or garment, was produced using the computer knit data. This finding was developed into a new integrated design process and design methods that remove most of the problems of computerized seamless V-bed knitting systems in high-fashion and offers additional benefits including reduction in time to market and design costs, and increases in the creative solution space for high-fashion knitwear design.The researcher has called this new role, a ‘designer-interpreter’ to denote a professional knitwear designer with additional training in managing computerized seamless knitting machines. Within the context of ‘designer-interpreter’, this research also established the feasibility of a new form of a ‘post-industrial craft-based one-person knitwear production system’

The Federal Conference on Intelligent Processing Equipment

Research and development projects involving intelligent processing equipment within the following U.S. agencies are addressed: Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, NASA, National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation