Mapping and Design of Information Processing for Machining of Individualized Components

The growing demand for individualized products increases the amount of information processed in manufacturing. To machine individualized variants, individual information must be processed and an individualized CNC-program must be generated for each order. This results in performance losses in terms of throughput time, costs and quality. The redesign and automation of information processing offers high potential for improvement. This paper presents a procedure to map and design the processing and flow of information for the machining of individualized product components. The procedure covers information processing between the configuration and the machining of customer individual components

Novel Method to Systematically Implement Lean Production in Machining Areas

The major goal of lean production is implementing continuous flow production value streams according to just-in-time principles, having one-piece-flow as an ideal. The implementation of such systems is quite widespread in assembly areas, whereas implementations for machine-intensive manufacturing processes are lacking behind due to a considerably higher technical complexity. A simple transfer of the methods used for creating flow in assembly areas is not possible. In order to enhance lean production implementation for machining areas, a novel method has been developed to transform batch size-oriented machining into synchronous one-piece flow machining. It comprises a six-phase approach based on existing practices in lean production. The approach starts with generating process understanding and removing barriers for flow production, and then addresses process stabilization before establishing the prerequisites for a continuous material flow via group technology and manufacturing cells. Afterwards, information flow is facilitated and man-machine interaction is designed, before flexibility towards changes in customer demand are implemented. The method has been validated both in the Process Learning Factory CiP at TU Darmstadt as well as in several industrial manufacturing companies

Gemba-Digitalisierung – Wie japanische Automobilunternehmen IoT-Technologien einsetzen

Der Beitrag untersucht den Einsatz von IoT-Technologien in japanischen Automobilunternehmen. Auf der Basis von Fallstudien in sieben Unternehmen wird mit der Gemba-Digitalisierung ein Modus identifiziert, der auch für deutsche Unternehmen und Digitalisierungsexperten sowie die Forschung hierzulande von Interesse ist. Kennzeichnend für die Gemba-Digitalisierung sind die Shopfloor-Orientierung der Digitalisierungsaktivitäten, ihr pragmatischer Low-Cost-Ansatz, der Respekt für das praktische Wissen der Produktionsarbeiter und die Einbettung in die in japanischen Unternehmen verbreitete Gemba-Kultur