Group technology applications in manufacturing operations through the computer system

Abstract

The typical manufacturing facility is constantly developing new product designs and related manufacturing processes. The increased volume of new designs and processes causes rapid and inefficient construction of product designs and manufacturing processes. Many parts and manufacturing processes are developed over the life cycle of a production facility with no organized means of cataloging this past and present data. This procedure is extremely ineffective because there is no way to determine if a part or process has been previously developed. The constant “reinventing of the wheel” creates a tremendous waste of manpower and cost. One approach to solving this problem is through the use of group technoogy. Group technology is the identification and grouping of similar parts and processes in order to take avantage of their similarities in the design and manufacturing process. Parts and processes can be grouped under a classification and implemented with a coding system. Concurrently, the number of parts and processes can be reduced by putting them in a “family.” This “family” has common characteristics such as shape, size, color, tolerance or production operations. For handling and manipulation of this data, a computer system has been developed. The computer system would set up a reporting format that would classify, code and group the parts and processes, so the user can analyze if a previously designed process or part can be used in the current system and/or if a better layout can be feasible. Many advantages such as reduced inventory cost, increased facility space and better utilization of manpower are but a few of the benefits from this system.