Production engineering

About: Production engineering is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2657 publications have been published within this topic receiving 37409 citations.

Capturing the life cycle environmental performance of a company’s manufacturing system

Abstract: This research has developed methods for manufacturing decision makers to measure manufacturing environmental performance and to predict the environmental consequences of alternative manufacturing system configurations. The ideas behind the methods are based on life-cycle thinking from the perspective of an industrial actor, and its decision makers, in the value chain of a product. The ideas are to (1) focus on the parts of the product life cycle that manufacturing decision makers can influence, (2) relate environmental consequences to changes in a manufacturing system, and (3) use a model in which discrete-event simulation (DES) is used to capture the dynamic features of a manufacturing system and life-cycle assessment (LCA) is used to quantify the life cycle environmental consequences. The aim has been to enable manufacturing decision makers to understand the environmental consequences of their actions. To do this, the ideas were further developed using a case study of a bearing unit production line. From the experience gained in that case study and from the knowledge foundation in previous published work we have developed three main methods. The first is a method to relate environmental consequences to a manufacturing actor when performing a life-cycle assessment (LCA), this to increase the relevance of results and the probability to find ways to improve the system. The second method suggests how system boundaries in an LCA can be drawn to specifically measure the environmental performance of an industrial actor’s manufacturing system. This is done by only considering this manufacturing system’s material losses and energy use when calculating its environmental impact. Finally, to capture the dynamic characteristics of a manufacturing system and enable what-if scenarios for changed production configuration, four methodological sub-proposals are suggested to create a DES-LCA model.

The New Management Paradigm: A Review of Principles and Practices

Abstract: : Over the past 20 years, a new management paradigm has emerged that is the antithesis of mass production. Firms employing this new paradigm rely on an integrated set of principles and implementing practices. First, to get new products to market quickly, they integrate marketing, research and development, engineering, design, production, and distribution. Second, to respond quickly to shifting demand, they aim at producing small lot sizes, with minimal setup times-a practice known as lean production. Third, to make every aspect of production more visible, they work with fewer, more qualified suppliers and involve them in every phase of production, from product development on. Finally, they delegate much greater operational responsibility to those who design and manufacture the product. The purpose of this report is to use an intensive survey of the literature to describe and analyze this new management paradigm. By providing a framework for understanding a very complicated subject, the report will serve as a resource for government managers and anyone else interested in those practices that are shaping manufacturing and service industries throughout the world. (jg)

On managing the human factors engineering of hybrid production systems

Abstract: In the transition toward total automation, contemporary manufacturing systems are predominantly composed of production equipment that is neither completely manual or automated. The development of these systems, identified as hybrid production systems, employ and integrate the capacities of human operators with intelligent machines. It is argued that human activities in hybrid automated systems are critical in achieving productivity gains. Given this importance, hybrid systems must be designed to optimize production. Optimal human factors engineering is possible only when engineers and their management are aware of the technical challenges, created by hybrid systems, and the range of options available for meeting these challenges. The authors describe these challenges and their possible solutions, specifically targeted to the management of engineering and technology-based organizations. >