Causes and safety effects of production disturbances in FMS installations: A comparison of field survey studies in the USA and Finland

Abstract

Installation and operation of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) requires a relatively large investment of capital. Therefore, high utilization of manufacturing capacity and low downtime due to system disturbances are of great importance. In addition to productivity and quality, the production disturbances have an effect on the safety of the personnel involved in operating and maintaining the FMS installations. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine the causes of production disturbances and their effects on the operation and safety performance of the FMS installations, (2) to analyze and compare disturbance data for the FMS installations in the U.S. and Finland, and (3) to identify ways to improve safety and efficiency in FMS implementations. The survey included 14 FMS installations in the U.S. and 31 FMS installations in Finland. The field survey questionnaire included six sections: (1) background information, (2) planning, (3) performance, (4) organization, (5) training, and (6) production disturbance situations. The analysis of system disturbances was based on the data about 35 disturbances reported in the FMS installations in the U.S. and 52 FMS-related disturbances in Finland. About 12% of all the disturbances observed in the U.S. and 35% of the disturbances in Finland caused hazardous situations or accidents. The FMS disturbances were classified into design errors, component failures, human errors, and external factors. More than one-third (34%) of the disturbances in the U.S. and in Finland (35%) were mainly caused by system design-based errors or flaws. The study results illustrate the scope of safety problems experienced in the implementation and use of flexible manufacturing systems, and provide new field data that are not systematically collected and classified today. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.