Design and Analysis of Integrated Manufacturing Systems (1988) / Chapter Skim
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Material Handling in Integrated Manufacturing Systems
Material Handling in Integrated Manufacturing Systems
Pages 46-59
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From page 46... ...
The best and brightest people in industry are seldom given manufacturing assignments, and it is a rarity that one of these is assigned to material handling. The career path to the position of chief executive officer neither begins with nor passes through material handling assignments; in fact, it is unusual to find it passing through a manufacturing assignment.
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From page 47... ...
The movement, storage, and control of material are examined in conjunction with integrated manufacturing systems. The paper concludes with a critique of the analytic tools most commonly used in designing material handling systems and an identification of development needs for futuregeneration manufacturing systems.
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From page 48... ...
Many observers believe it is necessary for computer integration to occur using a highly centralized software architecture. Computer integration can be achieved by networking microcomputers, and information linkages can be performed using a combination of people and computers.
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From page 49... ...
Aristotle is credited with the observation that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In the case of integrated manufacturing, this claim is frequently repeated but with little evidence to support it.
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From page 50... ...
The objectives are seldom defined well enough to allow the use of detailed design specifications. As firms obtain experience in implementing integrated systems and as increased standardization occurs in data bases, protocols, and communication interfaces, detailed design specifications will become useful in procuring integrated systems.
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From page 51... ...
AUTOMATION'S REPORT CARD Automation, in the form of automated storage and retrieval systems, guided vehicles, and automatic identification, has been used extensively in production environments for more than 20 years. Despite a lengthy record of proven successes, "horror stories" about the implementation of automation continue to appear.
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From page 52... ...
In general, quality tends to decrease and costs tend to increase as material movement increases. For these reasons, moving material fess frequently is best.
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From page 53... ...
Less Material Storage Just as intelligent material movement is no material movement, so intelligent material storage is no material storage. Although it may not be possible to eliminate material storage, an intelligent material storage system should be designed with the objective of "zero storage." As with moving material, "storing less is best." This can mean less frequently, less material, less distance, less volume, less money, or less routinely.
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From page 54... ...
WHITE movement and the best material storage is no material storage, few agree that the best material control is no material control. The trend in designing material control systems is to overcontro]
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From page 55... ...
Mathematical programming formulations of material movement and storage systems have been developed. However, since most real-world problems result in nonlinear, integer programming formulations, these formulations are usually solved using heuristic approaches.
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From page 56... ...
WHITE ing parts between workstations; transporter conveyors for controlling and dispatching work to individual workstations; robots for performing machine loading, case packing, palletizing, assembly, and other material handling tasks; microload automated storage and retrieval machines; cart-on-track equipment for moving material between workstations; and manual carts for lowvolume material movement activities (National Research Council, 1986~. Choices are being made by the automotive industry, for example, between the use of power-and-free conveyors and automated guided vehicles in assembling cars.
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From page 57... ...
Systems Design Needs The following items relate to material handling systems design needs: · Engineering workstations for designing material handling systems · Expert systems for designing material handing subsystems · Preprocessors that will create simulation programs from material handling systems designs 57 · Preprocessors that will create "optimum" control systems designs from simulation programs · Increased understanding of the performance characteristics of material movement and material storage technologies · Performance models for collections and combinations of material handling technologies · A method of determining the ease or difficulty of moving, storing, and controlling a particular part or product · Decision rules for retaining versus regaining the physical orientation of individual parts · Decision support systems to assist the designer in determining the sizes and locations of material storage points and the unit load size to be moved between workstations · Network generators for a variety of material movement alternatives, both synchronous and asynchronous Interface Needs The following items relate to the interface of material handling with product and process design, manufacturing systems, and shop-floor control: · The incorporation of material handling considerations in the decision support systems used in product and process design · The incorporation of material handling considerations in the formulations of manufacturing systems models · Integration of distributed material handling control with shop-floor control systems · Human supervisory control systems for distributecl, automated material handling systems Hardware and Software Needs The following items acldress hardware and software needs: · Automated material handling systems that recover automatically from significant disruptions
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From page 58... ...
Among the decision support systems needed in designing material handling systems are those that provide assistance in determining unit load sizes, material storage locations, buffer sizes, material flow paths (networks) , and positional control required for parts movement.
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From page 59... ...
Fourth, the first end-item deliverable should be the engineering workstation for designing material handing systems. The first ten development needs listed should provide a starting point for the research team.
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