Detailed Inventory Record Inaccuracy Analysis

This dissertation performs a methodical analysis to understand the behavior of inventory record inaccuracy (IRI) when it is influenced by demand, supply and lead time uncertainty in both online and offline retail environment separately. Additionally, this study identifies the susceptibility of the inventory systems towards IRI due to conventional perfect data visibility assumptions. Two different alternatives for such methods are presented and analyzed; the IRI resistance and the error control methods. The discussed methods effectively countered various aspects of IRI; the IRI resistance method performs better on stock-out and lost sales, whereas error control method keeps lower inventory. Furthermore, this research also investigates the value of using a secondary source of information (automated data capturing) along with traditional inventory record keeping methods to control the effects of IRI. To understand the combined behavior of the pooled data sources an infinite horizon discounted Markov decision process (MDP) is generated and optimized. Moreover, the traditional cost based reward structure is abandoned to put more emphasis on the effects of IRI. Instead a new measure is developed as inventory performance by combining four key performance metrics; lost sales, amount of correction, fill rate and amount of inventory counted. These key metrics are united under a unitless platform using fuzzy logic and combined through additive methods. The inventory model is then analyzed to understand the optimal policy structure, which is proven to be of a control limit type

Mechatronic design, actuator optimization, and control of a long stroke linear nano-positioner

The final publication is available at Elsevier via https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.precisioneng.2018.01.007 © 2018. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/In this paper, mechatronic design, actuator optimization and controls of a long-stroke (20 mm) linear nano-positioner are presented. The mechatronic design is described in terms of the stage's most prominent features regarding mechanical design, assembly, actuator configuration, and power supply. A novel air-bearing/bushing arrangement has been used in which the commonly employed double shaft arrangement is replaced with a single shaft supported by an air bearing from the bottom to constrain the roll motion. The assembly is greatly simplified by exploiting the self-aligning property of the air-bushings which are held in the housings by O-rings. Also, the footprint of the stage is reduced. Voice coil actuators (VCA) in moving magnet mode have been used in complementary double configuration for uniformity of force response. The performance objectives of previously optimized VCA's as standalone actuators are re-evaluated in this configuration. It is observed that while the performance objectives decrease a bit, the desirability of the design point is still retained. Controller design has been made for the current control and position control loops. Heydemann's method for the compensation of encoder quadrature detection errors is implemented. The positioning resolution of the stage as measured from the sensor output is experimentally determined to be +/-5 nm. Dynamic Error Budgeting (DEB) method has been used to analyze the contributing factors to the positioning error, and sensor broadband noise is determined to be the major contributor. The actual positioning accuracy of the stage is estimated by DEB to be 0.682 nm root-mean-square (RMS). The trajectory following accuracy is determined to be +/-15 nm. It is expected that trajectory following accuracy can substantially improve if more advanced compensation methods for encoder quadrature errors are implemented.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [RGPIN-03879]Engage grant EGP [436910-12

Modal Analysis, Metrology, and Error Budgeting of a Precision Motion Stage

In this study, a precision motion stage, whose design utilizes a single shaft supported from the bottom by an air bearing and voice coil actuators in complementary double configuration, is evaluated for its dynamic properties, motion accuracy, and potential machining force response, through modal testing, laser interferometric metrology, and spectral analysis, respectively. Modal testing is carried out using two independent methods, which are both based on impact hammer testing. Results are compared with each other and with the predicted natural frequencies based on design calculations. Laser interferometry has been used with varying optics to measure the geometric errors of motion. Laser interferometry results are merged with measured servo errors, estimated thermal errors, and the predicted dynamic response to machining forces, to compile the error budget. Overall accuracy of the stage is calculated as peak-to-valley 5.7 μm with a 2.3 μm non-repeatable part. The accuracy measured is in line with design calculations which incorporated the accuracy grade of the encoder scale and the dimensional tolerances of structural components. The source of the non-repeatable errors remains mostly equivocal, as they fall in the range of random errors of measurement in laser interferometry like alterations of the laser wavelength due to air turbulence

Methodical analysis of inventory discrepancy under conditions of uncertainty in supply chain management

This study presents two compensations methods for inventory discrepancy caused by demand, supply and lead time uncertainty as well as inventory related errors. The first method increases the resistance of supply chain by incrementing safety stock levels while the second method controls and corrects inventory discrepancy based on estimated errors. System-level errors are categorised and modelled under the best and the worst possible conditions to characterise and investigate the behaviour of discrepancy between on-hand and recorded inventory in a supply chain. Numerical analyses are performed to observe inventory and discrepancy behaviour to quantify the benefits of the methods. The results indicate that inventory errors can be characterised as an extra source of demand in supply chain. Incrementing the safety stocks based on inventory records can decrease stock-outs and lost sales but increase the level of on-hand inventory. Controlling and correcting inventory discrepancies, however, keeps low inventory