Manpower planning for maintenance jobs in process industries

This paper describes a model for allocating the weekly requirement of manpower for maintenance jobs in the process units. We develop a simple procedure for the solution of the manpower allocation problem which has to deal with planned and unplanned jobs during a planning period. The solution procedure is illustrated by a numerical example. Possible extensions of this model are also discussed.     

An industrial application for total productivity optimization

Abstract. This paper presents four strategies for total productivity optimization of a real-life manufacturing company. These strategies are developed to attain overall growth, cost reduction, upgrading of technical efficiency and management effectiveness. Such strategies have been modelled mathematically by using a nonlinear mathematical programming approach. The model base and the data base used in implementing the strategies can serve as decision support to management for optimizing total productivity.     

A comment on: A note on the EOQ-JIT relationship

In a recently published note in this journal the need for independent control of the production rate (R) and production time (L) was established in order to adapt the economic production quantity (EPQ) model in JIT settings. In this comment we aim to improve the relevance of EPQ in a JIT environment. We focus on two issues, namely, modelling the production rate as a decision variable and also deriving an expession for the optimal number of batches (n* ) for the raw materials and/or subcomponents needed.     

Multimedia in manufacturing

Multimedia is promoted as the technology for the future from the perspective of applications and its role in improving enterprise integration and management effectiveness. As yet few useful applications are found in business and manufacturing. Nevertheless, a growing number of businesses are looking to multimedia for real-life business solutions. Computerized production management systems have enjoyed the same growth and popularity as the personal computers and workstations on which they run. The application of multimedia in various functional areas of manufacturing such as marketing, design and engineering, production and distribution has tremendous potential, taking into account its capacity to integrate text, drawings, full-vector graphics, and full-motion video. Multimedia can also be used as an open development framework for manufacturing applications, especially in CAD, CAE and CAM, by providing users with tools to re-engineer and integrate product and process information. Advances in telecommunications and associated technological developments. Like the personal communicator and the video phone will increasingly add to the importance of multimedia in modern manufacturing. In addition, the future of manufacturing depends crucially on a well-trained employee base. Consequently, interactive video-based training programs appear ideal for jobs that have a high level of human error. In factories, computers and interactive video have been widely used. Realizing the importance of multimedia in manufacturing, especially in the process of enterprise integration and integrating the functional areas of manufacturing, an attempt has been made to investigate the applications of multimedia and identify some future research directions.     

Shop floor control system for tool rooms

A shop floor control system (SFCS), which is the most important component of any production control system, ff has a direct e ect on the productivity of a tool room. The SFCS presented in this paper aims at streamlining various tool room activities, such as process planning, operations scheduling, loading, progress monitoring, and performance monitoring. The system discussed in this paper is characterized by simplicity and is user friendly. Basic information, consisting of three types of information (order details, process details, and part details), is input through interactive dialogue sessions. On-line updating of the process information is carried out, again through interactive dialogue sessions. The basic input to the system along with the on-line updating enables a number of useful and important reports and documents to be generated ff by the system for e ective control of the shop floor. The reports generated include operations scheduling, process sheet, part list, ffi job card, load pending report, e ciency report, etc. This SFCS is developed for a medium sized tool room in an automotive company and its successful implemention reduced paperwork and improved resource management and has resulted in productivity. It can be said that this system offers a first venture into computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) for a tool room.     

Development of an integrated information management model: A case of textile industry

For past two decades many organisations have tried to implement integrated information management systems for better production management based on co-ordination of information and therefore activities of different departments. Although Enterprise Resource Planning systems have been in the market for the past decade, many industries find it difficult to implement such systems due to the amount of work involved in streamlining the documentation, customisation and of high costs reported in implementation. An attempt is made through this paper to propose an integrated model, which can be easily understood by production personnel, with specific emphasis on the textile sector.     

Benchmarking for small- to medium-sized enterprises

This paper identifies which benchmarking databases are available for small- to medium-sized enterprises and the best way to conduct a benchmarking project given the limiting factors which exist at the present time. First, the meaning of benchmarking and performance measures, and their importance to an enterprise are explained. Second, frameworks for the identification of critical performance measures are considered. Third, different types of industrial benchmarking are identified and defined. Fourth, publicly accessible databases are critically reviewed against the requirements of industrial benchmarking. Fifth, the results of the critical review are presented in tabular form. Sixth, conclusions are drawn as how best to proceed with a benchmarking project at the present time. Seventh, recommendations for how best to address the issues raised by the critical review are presented.     

One-machine scheduling to minimize mean tardiness with minimum number tardy

In this paper the one-machine scheduling problem with the objective of minimizing the mean tardiness subject to maintaining a prescribed number of tardy jobs is analysed. An algorithm for solving this problem is presented. It is proved that the schedule generated by the proposed algorithm is indeed optimal.     

Rough-cut capacity planning for remanufacturing firms

Capacity planning is a critical element of any successful production planning and control system. A method of rough-cut capacity planning is developed, based on the bill-of-resources approach, that can be used to plan for capacity required for firms in a remanufacturing including overhaul repair operations environment. The modified bill-of-resources approach developed takes into account two major stochastic elements inherent in this environment; probabilistic material replacement factors and probabilistic routing files. A detailed example from an actual repair overhaul operation is presented to illustrate the technique.