Small Manufacturing Industries Research Articles

Key action strategies for introducing smart manufacturing to small manufacturing industries

The global business environment is undergoing significant changes due to the impact of COVID-19 and shifts in workforce demographics, making organizational change an inevitable trend. In this context, the smooth adoption of smart manufacturing in the manufacturing industry is crucial for enhancing organizational value. Through a literature review, this study consolidated key factors related to organizational innovation and the implementation of smart manufacturing. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to identify the prioritized sequence of key strategic actions for innovative operations. The results indicated that among 27 assessment indicators, motivation is the most crucial factor for organizational innovation/change. Subsequently, organizations must also prioritize strategic human resource deployment to accelerate the development of long-term organizational goals. This study further examined solutions to ensure both talent and organizational growth during the transformation of innovation strategies.

Design, Fabrication, and Analysis of a Precision Drilling Jig for Waste Reduction: A Low-cost Solution

The modern assemblies of various machines such as engines, gears trains, and body panels require a highly precise drilling operation. These precisely drilled holes not only ensure the efficiency by constrained motions of these machines’ parts but also ensure longer service life. Moreover, precision drilling shall also ensure no subsequent requirement of reaming resulting in time and cost-saving. The precise drilling operation cannot be achieved unless highly precise machinery (CNC) is being utilized requiring higher initial investment (Pkr 1000000), or highly skilled workers demanding about twice the labor than the semi-skilled person. Being a small-sized industry, for profitability, a low-cost solution was proposed in this current work. To obtain precise drilling operation by the application of a drilling jig (Pkr 3000) on the manual bench drill machine (Pkr 15000), by a semi-skilled worker. In this work, a drilling jig has been designed, fabricated, and analyzed. This jig also can rotate the workpiece in clockwise/counter-clockwise directions. The drilled holes measurements provided the evidence that under the spindle speeds of 340, 700, and 1000 rpm, the closer dimensional values (~0.1mm) can be obtained, resulting in the elimination of rework and extra cost, along with the setup-time reduction by eliminating marking and center punching process, with the application of jig. It was concluded that the jig is quite applicable and can be substituted with high-cost CNC machines as a low-cost solution to the local small and medium-scale manufacturing industries.

Methodology for Selecting Optimal Knowledge Acquisition Through Analytic Hierarchy Process and Environment Parameters Impact.

In a global economy characterised by increasingly dynamic markets and technologies, the primary importance of intangible resources like knowledge is growing dramatically, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). Therefore, many companies are trying to support changes by configuring their production systems towards mass customisation. This evolving paradigm shift from mass production to mass customisation brings about complex product lifecycles that require continuous re-engineering/configuration of modern manufacturing systems. Rapid manufacturing companies' changes result in adjusting and updating the existing knowledge base to maintain their competitive advantage. Within companies, different tacit and explicit knowledge are available, relating to resources, processes and components. This data is usually not digitised, and therefore the main challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises is how to automate the knowledge acquisition process, choosing the best tools for knowledge preservation. Starting from the analysis of models presented in the literature, we defined a methodology to support selecting the optimal acquisition of knowledge and preservation in any phase of production systems. In an environment where business uncertainty is the norm, developing knowledge acquisition capabilities is increasingly important. The paper's main contribution is the AHP-PIE methodology, which provides a helpful guideline as a structured and logical means of ranking KA methods for evaluating appropriate tools for a small manufacturing industry organisation.

Design and development of a low-cost 5-DOF robotic arm for lightweight material handling and sorting applications: A case study for small manufacturing industries of Pakistan

Due to the ever-increasing demand for higher production rates and the shortage of skilled labor in small industries, material handling and sorting have become extremely tedious and challenging. Industrial automation-led effective material-handling solutions like robotic arms have gained immense importance as they provide an alternative to human involvement, contribute to higher sorting accuracy, and provide enhanced safety. However, the adaptability of these robotic arms in small manufacturing industries in Pakistan is mainly hindered due to their higher costs and concerns with their structural durability. This paper presents the development of a low-cost 5-DOF robotic arm with a designed payload limit of 1 kg and automatically sorts objects fed through a conveyer belt. Catering to the compact sizing, high strength, and lower payload requirements of small industries, aluminum was selected as the material of the robotic arm due to its superior strength-to-weight ratio while being lightweight. Arm geometry was developed using SOLIDWORKS® software, which was further processed in ANSYS® software to perform the static structural analysis of the robotic arm using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The fine meshing of the robotic arm assembly was done using triangular elements with the total number of elements and total nodes 52134 and 89104, respectively. A single point load was applied on the end effector, and the force was kept downward with an incremental loading of 1 kg starting from 100 g. These FEA simulations show that the robotic arm can hoist considerable weight while maintaining its structural integrity and directionality. The proposed robotic arm is also well-suited for manipulating objects in tight spaces due to its compact size and customizable range of motion, making it an ideal choice for applications that require precise manipulation of light loads.

How China's Small and Medium-Scale Manufacturing Industry Can Revive in the Post-Epidemic Era

The recovery of SMEs in the manufacturing sector is significant to rescuing China's real economy. Some researchers have analyzed the difficulties and causes of SMEs in the manufacturing industry in the post-epidemic era from the whole production supply chain and proposed countermeasures at the enterprise level. Still, there needs to be more in the actual situation of SMEs and government intervention. Therefore, this study uses questionnaires and interviews to analyze the data of SMEs in the manufacturing industry and related government staff in Henan Province and Hebei Province. It is found that the disruption of raw material supply, the reduction of the demand side, and the sluggish business environment brought by the epidemic have caused SMEs to face difficulties such as increased operating costs, capital and logistics chain exercise, etc. The government can recover the manufacturing industry as soon as possible in the post-epidemic era by reducing taxes, providing subsidies, and other financial support by the government in conjunction with improving financing capacity and digital transformation by SMEs.

The occupational distribution of foundling apprentices during the English Industrial Revolution

ABSTRACT This article presents a new analysis of the distribution of apprenticeships brokered by the London Foundling Hospital, England’s pre-eminent charitable foundation in the eighteenth century for orphaned and abandoned children. It explores the similarities and differences between charity apprenticeship and parish apprenticeship systems in supplying pauper children’s labour during the critical first phase of the English Industrial Revolution, within a wider European context. The results of this analysis illustrate that foundling children were set to work in agriculture, mainly in northern England, and in a variety of small manufacturing and retailing industries in the London area. For a short time, foundling girls were sent in batches to work in textile factories in the North and Midlands, but this practice was soon ended over concerns for children’s welfare. The extensive patronage networks of Foundling Hospital Governors and inspectors, the location of provincial branch hospitals set up to cope with the high volume of so-called ‘General Reception’ children, and gendered expectations of the life courses of the labouring poor were the most significant factors in determining where foundling children were sent as apprentices, and how they were employed.

Effects of emission reduction and rework policy in a production system of green products: An interval valued optimal control theoretic approach

Over the last few decades, the implementation of emission regulation by the government due to the impact of emissions from the industrial sector on the environment has included a rough demotivation among the small and moderate manufacturing industries. In the recent market situation, it is observed that, consumers much prefer to purchase eco-friendly products. Further, in the highly imprecise competitive market, it is rather a complicated task for a competent authority/operator of every manufacturing company to make an appropriate decision regarding marketing policy of the firm. Taking these three factors into account, this work aims to formulate the model of a production system that can benefit such manufacturers who are dealing with these three issues. This model is developed using interval modelling technique, and it is solved by using optimal control in interval uncertainty. Regarding emission tax estimation, two distinct cases appear to the manufacturer, which are explained separately. After the numerical analysis of the proposed model, it contemporarily observed that for a small/moderate manufacturing sector, adoption of emission reduction technology appears to be more beneficiary rather than paying emission tax free of reduction technology. Further, greenness index for the manufactured items imposes considerably-sensitive impact on the revenue of the system. Therefore the major contribution of the model is to investigate an emergent business policy for a manufacturing firm of green products under emission taxation regulation so that it may influence small and moderate manufacturers to set up their best-found marketing policies.

A Sustainable Iterative Product Design Method Based on Considering User Needs from Online Reviews

Small and medium-sized manufacturing industries can use online reviews to add valuable user requirements, enabling them to iteratively and precisely upgrade their products based on user needs. However, a sustainable, iterative approach to product design requires the integration of a large amount of information about user requirements for accurate selection. Currently, product iterations are primarily focused on developing new solutions or upgrading a few components with little screening to see if the product iterations meet user needs. This leads to a large number of wasted resources and a shortened product lifecycle. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a sustainable iterative research method that mines user needs and provides comprehensive decision making for product design based on online reviews, using probabilistic semantic term sets (PLTS). The proposed method considers the hesitation and uncertainty among evaluating experts regarding indicators, and uses the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to analyze the correlations between demand indicators. The DEMATEL correlation function is improved by reconstructing the PLTS acquisition score function and deviance into a DEMATEL correlation function, in the form of exact values using an improved binary semantic approach. This iterative design approach provides accurate feedback on how users feel about the use of product components and ensures that most product components are sustainably recycled. A drone case study is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. In-depth interviews with experts confirm that this approach is more sustainable and provides a new research methodology for sustainable iterative product design.

Sustainable Equipment Maintenance Framework for Small-Scale Water Production Plant

The effect of COVID 19 pandemic are still much felt in global economy: many companies are struggling to remain competitive in business, and thus sustainability of productions ranks high amongst research topics in manufacturing industries. While much research had focused on large scale companies, least attention had been paid to the small and medium-scale manufacturing industries which happen to be amongst the worst hit.This paper develops a model to support maintenance decision-making in a small and medium enterprise based on AHP. A total of 8 sachet water SMEs that met the inclusive criteria were selected. Six criteria were identified; consequences of failure, Ease of repair, Downtime, Frequency of failure, Cost of repair, and Cost of replacement and considered in the pair-wise comparative analysis. The developed model is targeted at addressing the fact that different components of the production equipment have disparate need for maintenance at any given maintenance schedule. Given that resources are often limited, it is cost-effective that choices of maintenance location be made such that the value added by the maintenance activities is optimized. The highlight of the analysis is the derivation of the Maintenance Significant Factor (MSF) that reflects the maintenance location-specific values of components. The result showed that the Submersible pump at an MSF value of 0.698 should attract utmost priority and closely followed by Automatic Production Machine and Modules at MSF of 0.555 and 0.447 respectively.

ANALISIS KESELAMATAN DAN KESEHATAN KERJA DENGAN PENDEKATAN ERGONOMI STUDI KASUS CAHYA SETYA TROPHY

Cahya setya trophy is a small manufacturing industry that produces trophies, vandels, acrylics, etc. In this small industry in the warehouse, there is still a lack of awareness to use personal protective equipment and a work method that can cause Musculosketal disorders. This study aims to analyze K3 from the Cahya setya trophy warehouse using observation methods, Nordic Body Map, RULA and REBA. The observation method was used for the initial step of the study and the Nordic Body Map was used to find a sample as a research from the RULA, REBA method. The results of work safety observations found that the dangerous action if not wearing shoes was the worst possibility that it could cause the employee's feet to bruise, and not using gloves was the worst possibility that the hands could be scratched. The results of the occupational health analysis using the REBA method, the bent position got a final score of 8, the duct tape process squat position got 9 scores, both positions had an action level of 3, and the packaging squat position got a score of 12 with an action level of 4, which means there is a very high risk and this position is very dangerous, then change action is needed, The results of the RULA method in the packaging squat position, the duct tape squat got a score of 6 which had an action level of 3 and the bent position got a score of 7 which had an action level of 4. From the results of these calculations, all work methods require action to change work methods, if changes in work methods are not immediately carried out, it can trigger Musculosketal disorders and lack of comforted at work.

Evaluation of occupational exposure to heat stress and working practices in the small and mid-sized manufacturing industries of Lahore, Pakistan

Background: Climate change is evident around the globe causing heat stress as an emerging public health problem for people working in tropical and subtropical areas. Occupational heat stress can impact the health and productivity of small and mid-sized enterprise workers. Objective: This study aimed to profile the indoor thermal environmental conditions and modify the working practices by recommending the work/rest cycle according to the international organization for standardization 7243. Study Design: This cross-sectional study design included eight industrial (Iron spare parts manufacturing) small and mid-size enterprises in Lahore, Pakistan. The indoor thermal environment, including globe temperature, natural wet bulb temperature, ambient temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity, were recorded during summer to measure the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). Quest heat stress meter (model 2500), modified Testo loggers (177-T4), and EL-USB-2-LCD data loggers were placed at different working stations to measure these thermal environmental parameters. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure the workers’ demographic characteristics and working practices. The International Organization for Standardization 7243 reference was used to estimate and recommend the work/rest cycle. Results: 138 workers aged 28.59 ± 10.46 years participated in this study. Continuous work of 8.8 ± 1.5 hours per day with a conventional resting period of 30-60 minutes was recorded on a typical working day. The indoor wet bulb globe temperature ranged from 26.8°C to 36.4°C. The workers were registered for low (72.5%), moderate (18.1%), and high (9.4%) metabolic rates according to the International Organization for Standardization 7243 reference values. Conclusion: A high wet bulb globe temperature was recorded in the selected small and mid-sized enterprises making these workers vulnerable to heat stress and related illnesses. Work/rest cycle evaluation suggested that the workers were required to improve their cool-down time by avoiding continuous exposure to high temperatures and reducing the metabolic rate.

Fabrication and Automation of Drilling Machine by Using Arduino

For precision workpiece manufacturing, the system should have good dimensional accuracy and surface finish. In applications such as drilling, punching, marking, boring, tapping, etc., the workpiece is first positioned, and then the tool executes its action while the moving axis remains stationary. In the traditional method of such applications, manufacturers use very expensive CNC machines to program the cycle and perform the same work. Large manufacturers can afford such expensive machines, but for the small machinery manufacturing industry, we must consider low-cost solutions that can provide high-quality output. In this study, we tried to propose a low-cost design that can be used to achieve functions similar to CNC. By applying this machine in industry, multiple generations can be obtained in a short time. It is very difficult to estimate the drilling depth when manually drilling with a traditional drilling machine, and the work will usually fail due to over-drilling. In many cases, it is difficult to measure the depth after the drilling is completed; especially the depth of the fine hole cannot be measured. Therefore, an automatic drilling machine that performs the drilling function according to the generated drilling depth and transmitted to the control circuit is indispensable; therefore, undertaking the study, it exposed the technology of the dedicated drilling machine. The automatic drilling machine designed here is very useful for the mechanical workshop. The machine is built with power feed technology and is designed to drill the job to a certain specified depth.

Study and Design of Arduino Based CNC Laser Cutting Machine

For precise job manufacturing, system should possess good dimensional accuracy and surface finish. In applications like drilling, punching, marking, boring, tapping work piece is positioned firstly and then cutting tool performs its action while motion axes are kept stationary. In traditional approach for such applications, manufacturer uses highly expensive CNC machine for programming job cycle and executing the same. Big scale manufacturer can afford such highly expensive machines but for small scale mechanical job manufacturing industry we have to think of low-cost solution that can deliver high class output. In this project we are trying to propose low-cost design which gives similar functionality as that of high-cost CNC machine. By applying this machine in industry, it can acquire the multi generation brief time. In order to perform some operation which requires continuous cutting over a pre-defined curve, CNC machines are used as the traditional machines in the industry. Installation of a CNC machine requires a high financial investment and a skilled labour to perform the different operations on the machine. Apart from that the maintenance cost of such machine are also high. In small scale industries where the operations are performed on small job pieces, the installation of such high-cost CNC machine is very difficult; hence this project work is taken up in which a low-cost CNC laser cutting machine is designed using the Arduino. This CNC laser cutting machine will be quite useful for small scale industries where the job size is not very large. Also, the machine does not require a highly skilled labour to perform operations.

Industry 4.0 transformation initiatives in a small scale mill board unit through sustainable manufacturing: A case study

Small scale mill board manufacturing industries are shutting down shop at an enormous pace. Observation shows that three out of five such units close down operations within three years of its inception due to their inability to sustain in the market. These units have not been able to utilize resources effectively and have not been able to run profitably too. Further, they have been struggling to meet the norms stipulated by the state pollution control board. This article is a review of various problems identified in a mill board unit and the measures taken that made the unit self-reliant and transform into an Industry 4.0 enterprise through sustainable smart manufacturing concepts. This case study describes measures adopted to revive a struggling mill board unit and its success in terms of economic profitability and issues in incorporating Industry 4.0 concepts..

Spring back analysis of pipe coil manufacturing using conventional lathe machine

The demand for manufacturing to support the food industry, medical industry, infrastructure, energy, and transportation are soaring. Meanwhile, the capacity and capability of conventional lathe machines need to be improved, especially to the manufacturing capability of particular parts. This issue needs to be considered since lots of small manufacturing industries which have conventional lathe machine need to compete to overcome the production demand of unique parts, for example as pipe coil. In large companies, coil manufacturing is produced with a special machine. With this concept, coil manufacturing can also be made in a lathe machine. What needs to be researched is how the good product achieved. In this case, are related to the dimensions laterally and axially, because there is a spring back character on the workpiece to produce. This study analysis the spring-back of the pipe coil in which manufactured using conventional lathe machine. From this research and testing, it was found that the lathe machine can be used to make coils with pipe raw materials. It was also found that there was a size deviation in the diameter and pitch of the coil. The size deviation can be used as a coefficient to compensate for the size of the mandrel and pitch.

Linkage between TPM, people management and organizational performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore an empirical investigation of the linkage between total productive maintenance (TPM), people management (PEM) and organizational performance in the apparel industry of Bangladesh. This study also explores the direct and mediating effect of TPM on organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected using a close-ended structured questionnaire from 227 small, medium and large-scale garment manufacturing industries. The causal relationships between PEM, TPM and organizational performance were examined using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of this study have provided significant evidence that the PEM has both direct and indirect impact (through TPM) on organizational performance. The results of the analysis also indicated that TPM has direct and mediating effects on operational performance.Research limitations/implicationsData for measuring PEM practices and organizational performance were collected from the same source, assuming that PEM practices are uniform across the organization. Therefore, response bias is not unexpected.Originality/valueThis study explores the interdimensional linkage between PEM, TPM and organizational performance and argues based on the empirical data in the context of the apparel industry in Bangladesh. The apparel industry is a complex manufacturing system synchronizing man, machine and material. The findings provide empirical evidence that employee engagement and practice of TPM will enhance the operational performance of the apparel industries.

Errores en los procesos mediante la revisión de la filosofía Lean Six Sigma y su incidencia en la productividad y competitividad de las PyMEs de la provincia de El Oro

La filosofía Six Sigma dentro de las industrias manufactureras es un enfoque que permite una mejora en la calidad y productividad enfocada en las PyMEs, es por ello que el objetivo de este estudio es analizar los errores en los procesos mediante la revisión de las fases del Six sigma para generar satisfacción al cliente, es importante que los empresarios o nuevos emprendedores conozcan acerca de la situación en que se encuentra su negocio para que determine las falencias dentro de su empresa y realice mejoras en las áreas que considere necesarias; por esta razón se considera oportuno plantear estrategias, como Lean Six Sigma que permite disminuir riesgos y desperdicios, ya que es importante en la toma de decisiones. El presente artículo se basa en un análisis de diversos conceptos relacionados al tema de estudio mediante referencias bibliográficas que permite la recopilación de datos. La investigación propone una metodología en donde se analiza 2 hipótesis, la primera hipótesis consta de 2 variables que son los errores comunes y la satisfacción al cliente y la segunda consta de 3 variables que son calidad, productividad y competitividad. Este estudio tiene una población de 1.802 por lo que se trabajará con una muestra de 317 pequeñas y medianas empresas que se enfoca en el sector de industrias manufactureras de la Provincia de El Oro, en donde se utiliza la encuesta como técnica de investigación y como herramienta principal un cuestionario dirigido a los jefes de producción de las pequeñas y medianas industrias manufactureras, el mismo que permite obtener resultados favorables que indican una aceptación de las hipótesis alternativas, lo cual demuestra que existe una incidencia entre estas variables, tales como: errores comunes, satisfacción en cuanto a la primera y calidad, productividad y competitividad como segunda hipótesis en las PyMEs del Sector Industrias Manufactureras.

SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES BY ENTREPRENEURS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

This study determined the skills needed for successful management of small and medium scale manufacturing industries by entrepreneurs in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive survey research design was adopted using a population of 2, 610 entrepreneurs of SMEs in Anambra State. Taro Yamane formula was utilized to select a sample size of 347. A structured questionnaire developed by the researcher was used for data collection. Cronbach Alpha was used to establish the reliability of the instrument. The reliability index obtained was r = 0.79. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and t-test. Mean was used to answer the research questions and standard deviation used to explain how the responses of the respondents varied. t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. The results showed that analytical and interpersonal skills are highly needed for successful management of small and medium scale manufacturing industries by entrepreneurs in Anambra State. The results also showed that there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of entrepreneurs on the extent analytical and interpersonal skills are needed for successful management of small and medium scale manufacturing industries in Anambra State on the basis of size of the business. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended among others, that entrepreneurs need analytical skills in order to visualize, articulate, conceptualize or solve both complex and uncomplicated problems by making decisions that are sensible given the available information. Article visualizations:

Industrial development in Saudi Arabia: disparity in growth and development

Industrial development in any nation plays a vital role in the strengthening of the economy and employs human resources as per specifications and directly towards the mainstream of the nation. In Saudi Arabia, there was rapid industrialization for four decades. Some manufacturing industries performed well, while some internal and external business environment factors influenced the others’ performance. The study focuses on historical development, as well as recent trends of well-performing and poor-performing industries of Saudi Arabia. Small manufacturing industries in Saudi Arabia are underdeveloped and need more attention to attain sustainable and progressive growth rate in the form of the number of establishments to enjoy the potential. Manufacture of tobacco, computer, electronics and optics, pharmaceuticals and transport equipment are the deprived and underdeveloped industries of the manufacturing sector. There should be some easy credit schemes for the development of deprived or underdeveloped manufacturing industries. To attain sustainable growth and development of the manufacturing sector, a positive attitude of the government towards underdeveloped manufacturing industries, favorable labor laws, and entrepreneurial awareness, technical and financial assistance are necessary. The growth and development of the manufacturing sector of Saudi Arabia will be helpful in the attainment of goals of Vision 2030.

5S APPLICATION TRAINING (SEIRI, SEITON, SEISŌ, SEIKETSU, AND SHITSUKE) TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF WORK ENVIRONMENT IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY

National industries already have policies that are able to strengthen industrial competitiveness, especially small and medium businesses. Business activities in the form of manufacturing Small Industries are the backbone of the real economy that encourages the welfare of the community because the numbers are very large and spread in various regions. because it is generally close to residential and business centers. National policies that can encourage competitiveness, for example, are carried out in the form of soft loans, training, incentives, tax breaks, business assistance, ease of regulation and various forms of support. But it must be understood that what is no less important is how the small manufacturing industry itself can make competitive steps both in capturing markets and in the efficient form of work operations within its organization. At present, the 5S method (Seiri, Seiton, Seisō, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke) has been widely adopted by various industries in various countries. The 5S method (Seiri, Seiton, Seisō, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke) was first introduced in Japan as a determination to conduct sorting (Seiri), structuring (Seiton), cleansing (Seisō), maintaining steady conditions (Seiketsu), and self-awareness of the habits needed to carry out work well (Shitsuke). The implementation of community service activities in the form of socialization and training on the application of 5S (Seiri, Seiton, Seisō, Seiketsu, andShitsuke) to improve the quality of the work environment in the service industry is packaged in the form of simple, easy to understand concepts planned for three months.