Specific examples, including:

Assembly line production such as the car industry

• Series of workstations connected by a transfer system; system moves partially completed parts between workstations
  • Each workstation completes product little by little. Raw materials in, product out
• Assembly lines require operations + product transfers to be properly coordinated
  • Controlled by Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
    • PLCs monitor inputs, make decisions based on their programmed logic and perform a particular task
    • Used to control actuators and data capture (i.e. rates, errors, etc)
    • car body is placed on conveyor belt where a sensor detects the shape of the body.
    • This input is sent to the PLC which makes a decision on which type of car door to weld based on the its shape.
    • This command is then sent to the actuator which welds to car door to the body

Example : Car Industry

Participants

• Employees who perform accounting, management, warehousing, marketing
• Workers who perform the actual tasks on the assembly lines
• Supervisors who oversee the entire operation

Pros

• increased efficiency → higher production rate
• uniform products (less variables due to automation)
• Reduced skill requirements for workers

Information/data

• Database of quantity + stock of parts (engine, wheels etc.)
• Production Times
• Machine Maintenance
• Faults in production
• Statistics on car production (how many cars produced over a set period?)

Cons

• expensive set-up costs
• repetitive job → deskilling + lack of motivation (changing nature of work)
• not good for frequent changes (i.e. custom orders)

Information Technology

• Sensors
• Processors (PLCs)
• Actuators (robotic arms, motors)
• conveyor belt
• computers (monitoring progress, stock, extra info etc.)

Reasons for Automation

• quality control
• precision (good tolerance range)
• cost reduction
• reduced workload

Relationships between Participants, data/information & IT

• Discuss w/ Ethan

Materials and production scheduling

• The Scheduling of Materials so they can be used by Production Systems
  • Done to meet customer demands + requirements
  • prevents backlogs + delays

Participants

Automated warehouses

CAD/CAM such as: computing numerical control (CNC) systems

Rapid prototyping

rapid prototyping is the rapid production of prototypes using Computer Aided Design data and Computer aided manufacture in the form of 3D printing.

• traditional prototyping is long and laborious because the prototype must be an accurate representation of the final product
• CAD/CAM systems can quickly turn ideas into realistic proofs of concept
• rapid prototyping easily + quickly makes high fidelity prototypes that look and work like the final product
• rapid prototyping is cost effective meaning many prototypes can be created
• due to the fast nature of rapid prototyping, prototypes can be easily tested for flaws and improvements can be made easily, efficiently and quickly