Manufacturing Technology Systems Research Articles

Work flow in manufacturing systems

This paper analyses the material flow system created by functional and group technology manufacturing systems. The results of a survey are discussed which measures the effectiveness of the way in which work flows through the respective systems and tentative reasons are advanced for the throughput efficiency of some group technology systems not coming up to expectation. The paper also discusses the contribution which group technology can make to flexible manufacturing systems.

A comparative study of the performance of pure and hybrid group technology manufacturing systems using computer simulation techniques

Abstract Problems of workload imbalance in Group Technology (GT) can be mitigated by transferring workloads from a congested machine centre in one cell to an alternative, less congested machine centre in another cell. Such inter-cell workload transfer results in a GT system which is a hybrid between pure GT (in which components are. completely processed within a cell) and functional layout (FL) (in which components are routed from one department of similar machines to another until completely processed) Though inter-cell workload transfer is often used in practice, its effects on system performance in GT have not been evaluated. This paper describes a general purpose GT simulator which has been developed and the evaluation of workload transfer which has been carried out (Aug 1981). Various job and cell attributes are employed as criteria for initiating workload transfers and the results of such transfers are examined in terms of job satisfaction, scheduling effort and material handling as well as overall shop performance. The interacting effects of job allocation rules, priority dispatching rules and batch overlapping are investigated under varying degrees of deviation from ‘pure’ GT. The effects of changes in job mix and of increases in demand are also examined. So are the effects of unbalanced capacity and cell size. The implications of the results for the practical design and operation of GT systems are also discussed

The “Hawthorne effect” and group technology manufacturing systems

This paper reviews the Hawthorne studies conducted by Elton Mayo and makes the hypothesis that a replica of the “Hawthorne Effect” may be in evidence during the early life of a Group Technology (GT) cellular system. The methodology behind an investigation to try to find it is described and the results from three companies are given. The results of a recent survey of 35 companies carried out by the authors is compared to the results of other surveys, and an investigation into the relationship of GT benefits with years of operating experience is described.

Organization theory and group technology manufacturing systems

A survey has been made of the manufacturing characteristics and performance of 35 engineering companies which are using Group Technology (GT) methods in production. Data have been collected from these companies on a “before” and “after” GT basis. This study investigates the changes in staffing levels brought about by introducing GT, and the findings reported here are compared with those of other researchers. In this paper we argue that it is doubtful whether the extensive research work carried out on the relationship between the “technology” of organizations and structures can be used to extrapolate the changes which might take place in staffing levels when a GT system is introduced into a firm.

Organisational characteristics of group technology manufacturing systems

The purpose of the investigation recorded in this paper was to find out what, if any, differences exist in the organisational characteristics of firms that use a Group Technology approach and those that use other methods of manufacturing organisation. Four firms, all well-established in the operation of GT systems, were investigated and their organisational characteristics compared with firms of similar product ranges covered in the Woodward surveys. While structural changes in organisation had been made in the Group Technology firms, it was found that these did not take them outside the broad limits of the staff and other ratios of the comparison base. The variations found may be indicative but are not definitive.The investigation shows the need firstly for better identification of socio-technical systems used in firms of all types and the reasons for their adoption, and secondly for recognition that the situation in any efficient firm is dynamic and will change from year to year to meet the needs of the situation with the resources available.

Organisational characteristics of group technology manufacturing systems

The purpose of the investigation recorded in this paper was to find out what, if any, differences exist in the organisational characteristics of firms that use a Group Technology approach and those that use other methods of manufacturing organisation. Four firms, all well-established in the operation of GT systems, were investigated and their organisational characteristics compared with firms of similar product ranges covered in the Woodward surveys. While structural changes in organisation had been made in the Group Technology firms, it was found that these did not take them outside the broad limits of the staff and other ratios of the comparison base. The variations found may be indicative but are not definitive.The investigation shows the need firstly for better identification of socio-technical systems used in firms of all types and the reasons for their adoption, and secondly for recognition that the situation in any efficient firm is dynamic and will change from year to year to meet the needs of the situation with the resources available.