Improving Manufacturing Performance Research Articles

Lean manufacturing concept: the main factor in improving manufacturing performance – a case study

In this ever-competitive business environment, the company that can deliver a product that can thoroughly satisfy the manufacturing outputs will attain the most market share. Besides that, cost cutting is key in competing with lower labour cost region in the world. Inability to execute cost reduction programme effectively will result in loss of contract to competitors. In relation to that, lean manufacturing approach offers tools to pursue reduce operational cost through reduction of waste of resource in the manufacturing industry. This paper has attempted to analyse the current production system of the company. The results show that, the company have to redesign the production system in order to satisfy the current needs. They have to setup a new strategy in order to achieve these needs. Based on that, lean manufacturing concept was suggested to the company and several analyses have been done in order to improve the current performance.

Strategies and success factors for overcoming challenges in TPM implementation in Indian manufacturing industry

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the challenges before Indian manufacturing organizations for adapting to proactive total productive maintenance (TPM) initiatives. The aim of this research is to critically examine the factors influencing the implementation of TPM practices in the Indian manufacturing industry, and to devise an overall maintenance strategy for overcoming obstacles to successful TPM implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe study focuses on systematic identification of obstacles in TPM implementation and working out success factors towards improving manufacturing performance in Indian industry through strategic TPM initiatives.FindingsThe study highlights the strong potential of TPM implementation initiatives in affecting organizational performance improvements. The paper reveals that implementing TPM is by no means an easy task, which is heavily burdened by organizational, cultural, behavioral, technological, operational, financial, and departmental barriers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has been conducted in Indian manufacturing organizations to formulate the critical success factors and enablers for overcoming obstacles to successful TPM implementation with regard to its preparedness to face global challenges.Practical implicationsThe study stresses the need for improving the synergy between the maintenance function and other organizational quality improvement initiatives in the organizations, to establish maintenance as a competitive strategy for meeting the challenges of a highly competitive environment.Originality/valueThe study highlights the difficulties faced by Indian manufacturing organizations in their attempt to implement TPM initiatives in order to improve organizational efficiency.

An evaluation of TPM initiatives in Indian industry for enhanced manufacturing performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the contributions of total productive maintenance (TPM) initiatives towards improving manufacturing performance in Indian Manufacturing Industry.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a large number of manufacturing organizations have been extensively surveyed, to ascertain contributions made by TPM initiatives in the Indian manufacturing industries towards realizing manufacturing performance improvements. The correlations between various TPM implementation dimensions and manufacturing performance improvements have been evaluated and validated by employing various statistical tools.FindingsThe research focuses upon the significant contributions of TPM implementation success factors like top management leadership and involvement, traditional maintenance practices and holistic TPM implementation initiatives, towards affecting improvements in manufacturing performance in the Indian industry. The inter‐relationships between various TPM implementation success factors with the manufacturing performance improvement parameters have been evaluated, to efficiently manage the TPM implementation program to realize organizational objectives of growth and sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study establishes that focused TPM implementation over a reasonable time period can strategically contribute towards realization of significant manufacturing performance enhancements.Practical implicationsThe study stresses upon the need for improving the synergy between maintenance function and other organizational quality improvement initiatives in the organizations, to establish maintenance as a competitive strategy for meeting the challenges of highly competitive environments.Originality/valueThe study highlights the strong potential of TPM implementation initiatives in affecting organizational performance improvements. The achievements of Indian manufacturing organizations through proactive TPM initiatives have been evaluated and critical TPM success factors identified for enhancing the effectiveness of TPM implementation programs in the Indian context.

Current advances in sustainable Metalworking Fluids research

Metalworking Fluids (MWFs) have a history of harming the environment and the health of workers, resulting in pressures to re-design them in accordance with sustainable manufacturing principles. In this paper, we review research being performed at the University of Michigan to minimise the life cycle environmental and health impacts of MWFs while simultaneously improving manufacturing performance. We highlight research contributions in the following areas: formulation design; biological sensors; advanced recycling; the use of supercritical fluids. We conclude that it is possible to design more sustainable metalworking fluid systems either by extending dramatically the in-use lifetime of water-based MWFs or better yet by switching to gas-based Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) systems.

Cellular manufacturing performance improvement using data mining techniques

This paper examines cell quality performance improvement through the integration of data mining using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques and cellular manufacturing. The aim of this paper is to study and predict the factors that impact quality product in cellular manufacturing, such as used material, material complexity, operation type (lathe, mill, thread, groove, bore, etc.), machine, machinist and quantity to improve cell performance. The outcome suggests improvement in the part processing sequence, machining process capability, formation of family products, design, the machine operator performance and work schedule in order to improve the machine performance in cellular manufacturing.

Improving the implementation effectiveness of cellular manufacturing: a comprehensive framework for practitioners

In today's competitive environment cellular manufacturing (CM) is a well-known strategy in improving manufacturing performance. To obtain the full benefits that CM has to offer successful implementation is a critical factor. Evidence indicates that firms converting to CM often struggle with implementation and achieve results that are less than anticipated. A comprehensive review of implementation literature was undertaken and a multi-phase model developed and evaluated through a case study. The framework recognizes the importance of both technical and human aspects of CM and provides practitioners with a better understanding of the various phases in the implementation process, including the many activities and issues which need to be considered for each step. In the case study company, implementation of CM not only provided many of the benefits associated with this form of manufacturing but also allowed operators to become a value-adding link in respect to process and product improvement and new product development.

Evaluating the efficiency of implementing total productive maintenance

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) has been widely recognized as a strategic weapon for improving manufacturing performance. This has also been successfully implemented in many organizations. The evaluation of TPM efficiency can assist factories in improving their operations across a variety of dimensions. In particular, it aids factories in monitoring their performance in comparison with other factories. Effective benchmarks of high performance and efficient cluster are identified for improving the factories in the other groups. Here, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to evaluate the efficiency score for when the utility function considers its many attributes. A prediction model by the multiple regression method is obtained. This regression equation can be used to obtain the expected efficiency score for checking the performance of implementing TPM. Finally, the proposed methodology can identify a peer group of efficient factories against which to benchmark. The actual improvement process may involve identifying the operating practices and procedures of the benchmark factories and engaging in re-engineering programs.

An overview of distributed process planning and its integration with scheduling

Process planning and scheduling are considered as two separate and distinct phases in manufacturing. Traditional approaches to these problems do not consider the constraints of both domains simultaneously and can only result in sub-optimal solutions. This separation becomes a barrier to further improving manufacturing performance. Most process planning and scheduling systems are off-line and centralized. The process plans generated off-line may become invalid at the time of plan execution. On the other hand, scheduling based on rigid process plans may have already lost the optimal options. Today, there is an increasing need for the integration of process planning and scheduling to generate more realistic and practical solutions. This paper provides a literature review on the integration of process planning and scheduling, particularly on agent-based approaches. It is followed by an overview of our approach toward distributed process planning and scheduling. The paper is finally concluded with future research opportunities.

FMS SELECTION USING A DECISION MAKING APPROACH BASED ON FUZZY REGRESSION AND OPTIMIZATION

The use of advanced manufacturing technologies, especially flexible manufacturing systems, offers a great potential for improving manufacturing performance to compete in the global markets. This paper proposes a decision model based on fuzzy linear regression and optimization for flexible manufacturing system (FMS) selection. Fuzzy regression is introduced in the model to assess the vagueness of functional relationships among decision variables and to account for inexact data. A comprehensive example is presented to illustrate the application of the model developed in this paper.

Influence of Ion Accumulation on the Emulsion Stability and Performance of Semi-Synthetic Metalworking Fluids

The metalworking industry is one of the largest in the United States. Although metalworking fluids (MWFs) are ubiquitous in manufacturing as coolants and lubricants, these emulsified fluids have a significant environmental impact over their life cycle. Accordingly, it has become necessary to better understand emulsion destabilization mechanisms that lead to MWF deterioration and disposal so that MWF formulations can be designed for increased longevity. This paper investigates the impact of pH and a wide range of hard water salts on MWF emulsion stability. While expected trends from the emulsion science literature are observed, it is shown that MWF destabilization can lead to an increase in the microbial load that the MWF can sustain while only slightly improving manufacturing performance as measured by the tapping torque test. Experimental observations also indicate that these trends are strongly correlated with increased emulsion particle size, regardless of whether increased particle size is achieved by aging, by reductions in pH, or by the addition of hard water salts. In MWF systems, these conditions typically result from the accumulation of divalent and trivalent cations over time due to hard water additions and exposure to metal workpieces and tools. While MWFs are formulated with EDTA to avoid emulsion destabilization due to cation accumulation, it is shown that EDTA can be ineffective or highly inefficient for this purpose due to direct interactions between EDTA and the MWF emulsifier system. Given the ineffectiveness of EDTA and commonly utilized MWF emulsifier systems to maintain stable emulsion size in the presence of high concentrations of hard water salts, a more effective and environmentally preferable technological change to the MWF formulation design is proposed and successfully demonstrated.

Shop-floor scheduling of semiconductor wafer fabs: exploring the influence of technology, market, and performance objectives

Shop-floor control has long been recognized as an important tool in improving manufacturing performance, an issue of great importance in the highly competitive semiconductor industry. Despite theoretical evidence of the benefits of certain kinds of scheduling policies, a wide disparity in shop-floor control practices exists in the industry. To better understand why such differences exist, we analyze an array of technology, market, and performance objective variables from 28 semiconductor wafer fabs. Using an ordinal logit model, we find that custom chip makers and fabs that place high emphasis on delivery performance are more likely to place high emphasis on lot dispatching and shop-floor control. Make-to-stock fabs producing mature products are less likely to place high emphasis on scheduling. For practitioners, the results can help direct management efforts by indicating which fabs will - and which will not - benefit from emphasis on scheduling. For scholars, the results suggest fruitful areas for future production scheduling research.

Establishing and improving manufacturing performance measures

This paper sets out the basis to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) in manufacturing companies. Their significance and how they can be used to make improvements. KPIs has been chosen in order to deal with the possibility of improving the utilization of a process manufacturing plant. The objective is to present a new methodology for KPIs. Also methodologies on manufacturing performance measures taken from the literature are used for the solution of improving the utilization. They are discussed on the basis of a manufacturing experience. In this paper, a presentation of these methodologies, a critical evaluation and short examples of applying them are included. The main conclusion of this paper is that the KPIs can be used quantitatively in assessing the manufacturing performance of a company.

Managing innovation for competitive advantage: a global study

For innovation to be beneficial to the firm, it must lead to increased competitiveness. The 1996 Global Manufacturing Futures Survey conducted in over ten countries and/or regions examined the benefits from innovation, investment in innovation activities and manufacturing performance improvements. It was observed that organisations were applying innovation mainly to current product and process areas, suggesting that the majority of respondents were not presently adopting practices that are at the forefront of innovation for new products and new markets. Not all potential gains from innovation activities are being fully realised at this stage, but those companies that are serious in implementing innovation management can identify significant operational improvements in performance.

Towards integrated manufacturing planning with common tool and information sets

The performance of manufacturing systems needs to be continuously reviewed in response to increasingly evolving market conditions. In recent years, a large volume of research has concentrated on improving manufacturing performance. Some research has been directed at senior management emphasising the strategic need for change and how to initiate change; other research has been directed at shop floor level and the provision of tools for continuous improvement; whilst more recent research has focused on business process re‐engineering and supporting methodologies. However, there is a very limited set of tools available for middle managers to encapsulate the aspirations of senior management (e.g. the strategic objectives of a company) and translate these into shop floor actions. This paper proposes a methodology to support management of the introduction of new processes, products and systems and to improve the performance of manufacturing systems. The paper presents a case and methodology for an integrated system for strategic, tactical, operational and project planning. The proposed methodology is based on structured systems analysis and simulation of a manufacturing plant. Feasibility of the approach is demonstrated through application to two small to medium‐sized enterprises.

World‐class manufacturing project: overview and selected results

A number of authors have used terms such as “world‐class manufacturing”, “high performance manufacturing” and others to describe comprehensive approaches to manufacturing performance improvement. They have broken new ground by introducing the notion of broad, organization‐wide improvement approaches, involving many complex interrelationships. However, testing the associated relationships is just beginning. The WCM Project seeks to articulate the practices which are associated with world‐class manufacturing and their interrelationships. In this attempt, a number of studies have been conducted, using the comprehensive database developed for the project. Provides a detailed examination of the development and verification of the database, which contains perceptual and objective information about quality, JIT, technology, strategy, organization characteristics and human resource management practices of 42 plants in the machinery, electronics and transportation components industries. It also provides a brief overview of three of the studies conducted as part of this project, dealing with: manufacturing process innovation; the relationship between quality practices and performance; and the relationship between TQM and JIT. Each of these highlights specific practices which are related to performance, as well as relevant infrastructure characteristics.

A comparative study of the operations strategies of globally- and domestically-oriented New Zealand manufacturing firms

There has been much written on why and how firms become involved in entering international markets. There is less material on the production/operations actions taken by such firms. This paper investigates the differences in competitive capabilities and manufacturing performance improvement plans between globally-oriented and domestically-oriented firms. It uses data collected from 140 New Zealand manufacturing companies. The results indicate that both groups emphasize the same competitive capabilities, but the globally-oriented group is placing more emphasis on some action plans involving quality assurance, improving existing processes and design for manufacture. Their most favoured action plans are similar to those of firms in most advanced manufacturing countries which participate in the Manufacturing Futures Project.

Improving manufacturing performance through scrap reduction at belden wire and cable company

AbstractCan a company improve manufacturing and operating performance by concentrating on a single internal quality improvement objective? Belden Wire and Cable Company significantly improved all major manufacturing performance indicators and operating profit by focusing on the reduction of manufacturing scrap. This article details the establishment of the objective and the key elements in realizing the improvements.

Assessing the organizational fit of a just-in-time manufacturing system: Testing selection, interaction and systems models of contingency theory

The adoption of new manufacturing practices such as just-in-time (JIT) and total quality management (TQC) is only a first step to improving manufacturing performance. Even more critical is the fit between manufacturing practices and organizational design, structure and processes. Using archival and survey data, this paper reports the results of a field study within a Fortune 500 company that tests three operationalizations of contingency theory as discussed by Van de Ven and Drazin (1985) [The Concept of Fit in Contingency Theory, Research in Organizational Behavior, pp. 333–365]. Results show that the misfit between worker empowerment required by JIT/TQC practices and existing authoritarian management partially explain relative workgroup performance as do other conflicts within workgroups and between operators and supervisors.

The economic justification of the sequential adoption of a new manufacturing system

Abstract Corporations in the US are showing a growing interest in the use of advanced technologies. They realize that to complete in today's world market, they must rely on the latest innovations in manufacturing technology. Techniques such as computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, along with computer-controlled manufacturing equipment, are being introduced into computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) and production systems. These advanced systems have great potential for improving manufacturing performance, but there is still a considerable gap between the decision to invest and the achievement of the promised benefits. The implementation of CIM normally entails a large initial investment under a long-term, uncertain environment. Many companies, generally, cannot afford this investment unless they can determine beforehand that CIM will work in their particular industry and that it will provide a coherent manufacturing strategy and a satisfactory return on investment. In many cases, it is even impossible to economically justify CIM if the benefits are achieved only after complete implementation. In this paper, we discuss ways to achieve CIM in progressive steps (a pay-as-you-go approach), beginning with a simple configuration and working up to a full configuration, as appropriate. In this way, partial benefits of CIM are reaped with each stage, and, at the minimum risk, successive steps are clearly justified in terms of the firm's objectives. We develop a decision tool that uses post-audit information to resolve the uncertainty about the expected net present value of a technically innovative process. The method was applied to an actual CIM project to document the economic justification steps.

Lasting improvements in manufacturing performance: In search of a new theory

AbstractIs there a way to avoid trading off one capability for another in manufacturing? The prevailing wisdom says no. But some manufacturers seem to have been able to defy that: compared to their competitors, they have better quality, are more dependable, respond faster to changing market conditions and in spite of all that, achieve lower costs. How can this be explained?Our aim here is to provide an explanation. We contend that the nature of the trade‐offs among manufacturing capabilities is more complex than has been assumed. Depending on the approach taken for developing each capability, the nature of the trade‐offs change. In certain cases not only can trade‐offs be avoided altogether, but in fact one capability would enhance another. They become cumulative. Moreover, when a capability is developed in this way, it is likely to be more lasting and less fragile than if it were developed at the expense of other capabilities.We go on to suggest a model which shows how this can be done: To build cumulative and lasting manufacturing capability, management attention and resources should go first toward enhancing quality, then—while the efforts to enhance quality are further expanded—attention should be paid to improve also the dependability of the production system, then—and again while efforts on the previous two are further enhanced—production flexibility (or reaction speed) should also be improved, and finally, while all these efforts are further enlarged, direct attention can be paid to cost efficiency. We use data from 1988 European Manufacturing Futures Survey (167 respondents) to test and illustrate our model.While we cannot “prove” our model, nevertheless, we believe there is enough evidence for a critical reexamination of traditional managerial approaches for improving manufacturing performance. For example, except for the cases when there are obvious slacks in the production system, the belief that costs can come down quickly and lastingly needs to be questioned. Lasting cost efficiency in production can be achieved only through improvements in other capabilities.