Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA
MODULE
MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT
LEARNING CENTRE:
MUTIARA BIRU ESHAN
1
TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION………………………………….…………………………………………………. 3
DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Intelligent manufacturing………………………………………………………………….……….16
Engineering optimisation………………………………………………………………….……….19
CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………….20
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………….……….21
2
INTRODUCTION
The manufacturing of various products is done at different scales ranging from humble
domestic production of say candlesticks to the manufacturing of huge machines including ships, aero
planes and so forth. The word manufacturing technology is mainly used for the latter range of the
spectrum of manufacturing, and refers to the commercial industrial production of goods for sale and
consumption with the help of gadgets and advanced machine tools. Industrial production lines involve
changing the shape, form and/or composition of the initial products known as raw materials into
products fit for final use known as finished products.
Manufacturing must be able to quickly manufacture different products at the same time and be
able to change the product mix efficiently. Regular reviews of customer demand versus forecast demand
and monitoring stock levels, will help control cost, ensuring manufacturing are building goods required
to meet customer demand. It is important that production planning monitor changes in customer demand
and that the production plan reflects market requirements.
In the current market place long production runs are not effective, as these limits; flexibility,
reduce customer service, increase customer back log, increase stock holding and are a drain on the
company’s cash flow.
It is important that production lines are optimally planned to ensure that flexibility does not
drive unnecessary cost in to the business and reduce profitability. There is not one optimally flexible
manufacturing plan but there can be many flexible alternative scenarios that will allow the business to
efficiently meet the demands of the market. It is important that manufacturing management and
planning management work closely together to ensure that production lines are effectively planned and
resources are optimised.
Manufacturing management invoking the concept of lean manufacturing will challenge existing
processes and eliminate non-value adding activities. Manufacturing management in pursuit of lean
manufacturing will continue to challenge existing processes and will challenge employees to continue
to reduce and eliminate non value adding activities. Employees should be encouraged and challenged
to think of new ways to improve. Continuous improvement must become embedded into the company’s
culture and part of normal business activities for the company to remain competitive. Employees must
feel enabled and empowered to influence the timely delivery and quality of goods they produce.
3
Effective manufacturing management focuses on each step of the manufacturing process to
determine whether or not it is something the customer is willing to pay for. Waste at all levels must be
monitored, examined and eliminated where necessary. Effective and efficient manufacturing
management will lead the; reduction of inventory, elimination of over production and over processing
caused by poor manufacturing cell design, reduce process waiting time and unnecessary material
movements. Eliminating non value adding activities within the manufacturing process will increase
efficiency and ultimately increase profitability.
4
DISCUSSION
Manufacturers today need more than just the next 'big idea'. They need to make that big idea a
reality. They need to do it in a business environment that demands faster time-to-market, higher quality,
lower costs and greater innovation. These are the realities of today's manufacturing market - global
engineering teams working on 24-hour design cycles, suppliers scattered across continents, stringent
regulatory requirements, warranty issues, and more. The challenges - and the attendant financial risks -
have never been greater. When it can take up to $1 billion to launch a single new product, as it does in
the aerospace industry today, inefficiency or failure in the product development process is simply
inadmissible.
It is said that decisions made during the design stage determine 70 per cent of a product's cost
over its life. Making the right decisions in an environment in which a product that is six months late to
market might generate some 33 per cent less revenue over its life is causing enterprises to look in
different directions for help.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship
management (CRM), all spring to mind in this context. Each addresses specific areas of the activities
of an enterprise, but it is product life cycle management (PLM) that is attracting much attention as
manufactures seek to bring the disparate parts of their development process together. However, PLM
does not address many of the most basic questions about a new product. These include "Will it work?",
"Can it be manufactured?" and "Will our customers enjoy the experience?" Formerly focused on
building and testing physical prototypes to answer these questions, manufacturers are increasingly
turning to computer simulation and virtual product development (VPD). No longer is computer
simulation seen as a tool for problem resolution, it is now the very engine of the modern development
process.
Virtual product development is the strategy for co-ordinating technology, processes and people
to enhance a company's established product development process. VPD provides a product development
environment that leverages systems and software, integrating the engineering computing environment
with a broad suite of analysis software, collaboration and decision-support tools, process capture and
automation tools, and robust design methods.
5
It starts at the earliest stages of concept development, it enables design, it optimises production
and manufacture, and supports in-service maintenance. The benefits are tangible, with manufacturing
companies reporting reduced development costs, fewer (or completely eliminated) physical prototypes,
and drastically abbreviated development schedules.
For some manufacturing companies VPD is today's reality. For others it is a vision. No longer
is it sufficient to look at disciplines like strength, durability, safety, thermal management, sound quality,
fuel economy, and more in isolation. Instead, design teams expect to be able to work on a common
virtual development platform, to explore the design space using tools appropriate to their domain of
expertise, to share and communicate information, and to collaborate easily to manage the sometimes-
conflicting requirements.
While discipline integration is one of the key elements of a VDP environment, it is also not
sufficient. The great majority of a design team is not analysis or simulation specialists. For the non-
specialist simulation needs to be embedded in the environment in which they naturally work. This
means providing full integration of CAD and industry standard simulation tools. It also means
delivering focused, task-specific solutions, which speak the language of the designer and contain
embedded process knowledge. Last, but not least, it means providing tools that enable quantitative
evaluation of the robustness of a product design instead of relying on the experience and intuition of
engineers. Tools relying on the application and simulation are proving very effective, enabling
designers to quickly evaluate the effect of variability in the manufactured product and as well as the
uncertainty in its operational environment or how it is used by the ultimate beneficiary of VPD - the
consumer.
Manufacturing technology is a term that can refer to a number of modern methods of science,
production, and engineering that assist in industrial production and various manufacturing processes.
There are many modern manufacturing technologies, most of them specifically relevant to ‘Industry
4.0’, the name given to the fourth industrial revolution, associated with automation, data exchange,
digital technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the ‘Internet of Things’. Therefore,
a lot of the manufacturing technologies innovating production and industry are also relevant to this
fourth wave of technological advancement.
6
Smart Factories
Smart factories are environments that are highly digitised for manufacturing to take place more
efficiently through connected systems. Through innovative manufacturing technology, machines and
systems can, through automation and self-optimisation, learn and adapt to situations with increased
productivity. Facilities in France, Ireland, China, and the Czech Republic were named the most
productive and powerful smart factories in the world by the World Economic Forum in 2019. Able to
produce goods on a large scale, smart factories are useful not just for manufacturing jobs but also for
processes like planning, supply chain logistics, and product development.
Cyber-Physical Systems
Cyber-physical systems are those which integrate computer, networking, and physical processes, in
which embedded computing technologies control and monitor processes in real time. The combination
of cyber and physical industries is crucial to this manufacturing technology; the computer system
monitors the process and identifies areas where change is required, and the physical system reacts
accordingly. Cyber-physical systems are often considered one of the main advancements of Industry
4.0.
Additive Manufacturing
Big Data
Today data is collected constantly in systems, sensors, and commonplace electronic items like mobile
devices, and the amount of data to be stored is growing every day. ‘Big data’, a collection of global data
from various sources, can be a useful component in manufacturing technology. Industry is in the process
of developing methods to interpret and analyse data to use in production. These potential productive
uses include risk management, manufacturing products to a customer’s specific tastes or order,
improving quality, tracking production, and logistics, amongst others.
7
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) technology displays digital content in the real world, allowing visualisation of
products or superimposing data or plans onto physical components and machinery. In manufacturing,
AR could be used to overlay text, statistics, such as showing the running temperate of a piece of
equipment without touching it, or virtual health and safety training without requiring an individual to
involve themselves in something potentially harmful. Augmented reality glasses are predicted to reach
around 19.1 million units by 2021, and when combined with virtual reality devices, could hit 59.2
million units.
Numerical Control
Machining tools or items used in manufacture, such as 3D printers, can be regulated and controlled
remotely using CNC – computer numerical control. A CNC machine processes a piece of material to
key specifications, following a coded programmed instruction and without the need for a manual
operator. Modern CNC systems, through high tech computer programming, allows the design and
manufacture of a mechanical part to be highly automated. Processes like laser cutting and additive
manufacturing rely on numerical control to efficiently and remotely create products.
Robotics is a field of technology which has seen huge technological advancements, which have
had many impacts on manufacturing. Robots are able to perform tasks repetitively and tirelessly, and
with precision, high efficiency, and very little error. Many of the examples already discussed are
bolstered by the use of robotics. For example, the data analytics and technology insights essential to the
smart factory can be bolstered by robotics, and numerical control can be carried out efficiently by a
piece of robotic technology. One of the main changes this means for the world of manufacturing
technology is a shift in jobs. Rather than being about production and manufacture, now people
specialised in robotics to oversee the machinery doing the manufacturing are sought after by this
industry.
A study from the market research company Vanson Bourne revealed 23% of unplanned
downtime in the manufacturing sector occurs because of human error. This number is especially
illuminating when compared to 9% of downtime in other industries. Manufacturing suffers more than
most fields when it comes to human mistakes, as it’s not uncommon for one issue to slow down or stop
an entire assembly line.
8
That is only one reason why the future of robotics in manufacturing is looking bright. For this
sector, the projected demand for advanced robotics is expected to rise to $3.7 billion by 2021. This
number encompasses a worldwide scale, meaning business professionals and production managers
across the globe recognize the value of industrial robots. These skilled machines are evolving in ways
many people could’ve only dreamed of, but like all things, they come with pros and cons.
The advantages and disadvantages of manufacturing robots deserve equal consideration for the
undeniable benefits these machines bring to the workplace — as well as the valid concerns. These are
some of the many positive benefits that have come from using robots in manufacturing:
Some of the biggest concerns that production managers, employees and other relevant parties have
about industrial robots include:
- Increased safety risks from employees working near large, powerful robots.
- Job loss due to the elimination of certain positions.
- Limited capabilities for executing human-like tasks.
- High costs of initial robotics implementation.
- Using more time and resources to train people on working with robots.
The history of robots in manufacturing is expansive. Through the last few decades, these
machines have steadily increased in their number of applications and efficiency. Though many see them
as modern marvels, robotic manufacturing systems have been around for much longer. The inventor
George Devol filed a patent for the first industrial robot in 1954, and the prototype came to life in 1961.
It looked and functioned much like today’s robotic arms, able to carry 500 pounds and pull off tasks
once thought exclusive to humans.
From there, these machine-based arms became a familiar sight in automotive factories and other
manufacturing plants. Now, robots come with numerous features and capabilities that make them more
unique, flexible and productive than before. Collaborative robots, or cobots, can work on the factory
floor alongside humans for a faster, more efficient workflow. Many can even accommodate physical
interaction, such as a worker physically adjusting the machine’s movements so it can memorize and
repeat those steps on its own.
9
Both within and outside of the manufacturing field, robots are gaining senses such as touch and
vision. These innovations make a major difference in a robot’s capabilities, allowing it to accomplish
feats it couldn’t have done otherwise:
Touch: Some recycling facilities employ robots that can identify and separate waste depending on the
texture. Combining this feature with vision-based machine learning makes robots far more adept at
sorting refuse than human workers, which can relieve them of the dangerous work of waste
management. MIT recently created a machine that can predict what object or part of an item it is
touching from tactile input alone.
Sight: Some robots contain Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors, which allow them to judge
distances by using laser reflections. This sense is comparable to echolocation in animals like bats and
dolphins — sound waves help these creatures pinpoint an object’s location. A notable example comes
from FedEx’s SameDay Bots, which can navigate around people and objects using LiDAR.
Hearing: Much like LiDAR technology and echolocation, some robots can use a form of technology
called laser vibrometry to detect vibrations. This ability essentially allows them to hear basic sounds
and even conversations. Although this is currently more common in consumer electronics — like smart
devices — it may soon make its way to manufacturing robotics as well.
What will future applications of industrial robots look like, and how can they streamline manufacturing?
Here are a few ways these machines are already beginning to evolve.
1. Lights-Out Manufacturing
Lights-out manufacturing allows robots to work without any interference. This term is common
among factories with few, if any, human workers — machines handle the production process from
beginning to end. Some manufacturers may find this concept easier to implement than others, but those
that do integrate it into their operations tend to see a marked improvement in productivity and labor
costs. Companies that practice this strategy can even experience better energy efficiency because of a
decreased need for climate control and additional lighting.
The Internet of Things (IoT) connects physical devices with internet applications — like cloud-
based software — to make them smarter and more aware of their surroundings. Robotics manufacturers
are merging the two by equipping robots with sensors that enable them to read their environment. These
10
tools pick up on external information such as tactile and visual input. With this data, these bots can
make informed decisions about what action to take next.
More advanced applications of the IoT include predictive analysis and location tracking.
Integrating these abilities into existing robotics sensors can take these devices to the next level of
automation. A robot that could predict another machine’s imminent breakdown — or inform production
managers of its own upcoming maintenance schedule — would bring innovation on an unprecedented
scale.
3. Transformations in Cybersecurity
Employing artificial intelligence and cloud-connected robotics within your business can take
you beyond the competitors, but it can also make your operation more vulnerable to cyberattacks. As
more companies plug into IoT-based systems, they’ll need to increase their cybersecurity measures to
protect sensitive information. Enhanced cybersecurity is one of the major trends in robotics, and for
plenty of good reasons.
Security responsibility primarily lies with three significant groups — the robot manufacturer,
the integrator and the operator. Robotic firmware and software can be vulnerable to hacking, which
means the company building the bots must install them with robust safety systems from the start.
Offensive and defensive security — which involves testing for vulnerabilities and installing
protective controls — can safeguard these machines against outside interference. This tactic requires a
team approach from both integrators and operators to succeed.
In many processes’ development and design situations, simulations are beginning to replace
full-scale process trials, reducing development time and cost compared with those of the normal
iterative methods. Tooling and dies and material specifications can also be optimized based on the
results developed from the preliminary design and geometric modelling stages (NRC, in press). The
11
most important task is selecting the optimum processing conditions, which will ensure that the required
mechanical and physical characteristics of the product design can be produced at a high-quality level.
The mathematical underpinnings of unit process simulations typically involve the solution of
the classical laws of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, coupled with constitutive
formulations of the material behaviour during its residency in the unit process. The solution procedure
is governed by initial and boundary conditions that represent the process conditions of the situation
being modelled. The complexity of the simulation model may be simplified with first-order assumptions
that provide solutions with reasonable accuracy and converge to the correct solution.
Simulations of unit processes are largely based on the computer-aided approaches that include
three important activities: modelling, visualization, and design. Simulation output consists of
information on the processed component characteristics of geometry, surface, and microstructure,
including defects. The finite-element method is widely used for modelling unit processes. Presently
available software for computation includes a variety of three-dimensional elements and offers a
coupled thermomechanical and fluid-flow analysis capability. A wide variety of analysis options,
material models, and interface elements are supported. Three of the desirable analysis options include
Lagrangian or Eulerian formulation; implicit/explicit solution algorithms; and automatic, time-step
control. In addition, the analysis packages have robust nonlinear solution algorithms that guarantee
convergence and are able to take into account complex displacement, velocity, stress, and thermal
boundary conditions.
With the present requirement of representing a variety of physical phenomena that occur during
unit processes, the constitutive modelling capabilities of the analysis packages have become extremely
important. For example, as discussed in Chapter 9, analytical packages used in deformation process
simulations should provide both elastic-viscoplastic and elastic-plastic material models, so that rate-
dependent and rate-independent phenomena can be modelled. In addition, models should be capable of
using constitutive equations that can evolve specific metallurgical features during the simulation.
The suitability of a finite-element package to model the interface phenomena of a unit process
is critical, because only accurate representation of the interface situation (e.g., friction, heat transfer,
etc.) can provide an accurate set of boundary conditions for the modelling of the bulk workpiece
behaviour. For example, the robustness of deformation process models is influenced by contact
modelling capabilities. Current generalized three-dimensional contact algorithms include general three-
dimensional sliding capability, automatic detection of element contact and release, contact between
deformable bodies, and single surface contact capability for modelling the formation of defects such as
lap formation. A future enhancement of contact algorithms would be the representation of interface
phenomena such as friction and heat transfer. In addition, this deformation process representation
should include detailed interface models that are functions of various process parameters. A particular
12
need for analysis of unit processes with large strain deformations is adaptive finite element meshing,
which rezones the mesh as needed (i.e., automatically redefines the finite element grid) and continues
the analysis with little or no user interaction.
Most of the previously discussed modelling requirements are currently addressed at a two-
dimensional level by available finite-element method computer codes. These programs are usually
general-purpose packages capable of handling the nonlinear partial differential equations typical of unit
process models, as well as the traditional linear partial differential equation required to solve thermal
and mechanical problems. The constitutive descriptions of material behaviour are limited in most of
these packages; however, some user-defined formulations can be inserted into the more advanced
programs. The versatility of these packages is traded off against the efficiency of the problem solution,
particularly in the three-dimensional versions of the codes. The programs are available on most
workstations; mainframes; super computers; and, more recently, on reduced instruction set computing
processor workstations and parallel processor machines.
As in any computation, the use of physical insight to eliminate less important variables can
simplify a solution with little loss of accuracy. In addition, consideration of revised variables that
incorporate coupled or related variable groups ("super variables") may also simplify the partial
differential equations and their solution. Simplified equations can result in faster computation times
with a minimal loss in simulation accuracy. Further increases in simulation performance may be
attainable with the development of specialized processors that are tailored for the numerical solution of
process simulations. These processors trade program versatility for enhanced precision, speed, and
accuracy of their solutions.
The use of knowledge-based engineering systems in unit process simulation relies on past
experience to estimate the behaviour of the process. For example, this approach has been used for
tooling and die design and input stock geometry estimation for two-dimensional simulation of forming
processes (Tang and Oh, 1988). This technique, however, has had limited success, because it has not
yet addressed three-dimensional problems and does not include consideration of the workpiece material
behaviour. Application of knowledge-based engineering systems to the prediction of defects and
microstructure has been reported for forming processes (Demeri, 1989). Future simulation tools should
incorporate both knowledge-based engineering systems and analytical techniques.
Validation of simulation results with data obtained from critical experiments is necessary to
establish confidence in the predictive capabilities of simulations. This is a critical, and continuing,
activity. The range of the validation (i.e., process conditions) should be based on the robustness of the
assumptions in the simulation to identify the limits of process conditions for future application of the
simulation.
13
Application of simulation tools to the design of unit processes (e.g., tooling configuration, input
material characteristics, and process parameter operational scheme) is an increasingly important
element in successful product manufacture. In general, unit process design evolves as experiences are
gained from product to product. Limited confidence is normally assigned to design situations outside
of the region of past experiences. The design procedure draws upon different types and levels of
knowledge at different stages of the design sequence and relies heavily on the creativity and intuition
of the user (Richmond, 1986).
Hence, from a user's perspective, the modelling system should be user-friendly and should
provide a user interface that enhances productivity. In addition, it should contain features that ease a
user's task burden during iterative process design. The modelling system should assist the user
differently at different stages of the design process, since the needs vary.
Unit process design can be viewed as comprising three distinct stages: preliminary design,
geometric modelling, and process modelling. Typical activities that occur during each of the stages
include part design for assembly, preliminary part design for processing and producibility (or net shape
manufacturing), preliminary die/mold design (if process uses dies or molds as in forging, stamping, die
casting, or injection molding), and process simulation to verify die/mold as well as product and process
design. Figure 10-1 is an example of the design steps that occur for discrete part manufacture (Altan
and Oh, 1987).
Each design stage uses particular tools and information about the product under design, as well
as information about past product development. An integrated unit process modelling system would
seamlessly transfer information and data among the three stages, so that the effect on the other two
stages of decisions made during preliminary design could be visualized.
Preliminary design is heavily influenced by the geometry of the product's components. Limited
consideration is given at this stage to how selected material properties will be affected during processing
or how difficult a material will be to process. Preliminary design typically draws extensively on
previous design experience. If a knowledge-based engineering system were available, the following
important areas could be addressed interactively during preliminary design:
14
- preliminary estimation of the unit process operational parameters; and
- preliminary tooling design for each unit process.
Automatic mesh generation assumes a special importance in process simulations that have
severe material distortions because of the problems with remeshing that were discussed in Chapter 9.
Hence, a three-dimensional remeshing utility for arbitrarily shaped geometries is needed, especially for
complex components.
- Feature definition. Features provide the mechanical detail to the geometry of the part and the
process. Through features, the geometric model is supplemented with a variety of essential
nongeometric data (e.g., surface-finish information, material type, heat treatment requirements,
etc.) that result in a complete product model. An ideal geometric modeler would support these
three basic modes of inputting feature information: design by features, automatic recognition
of features, and interactive identification of features.
- User specification of product and process attributes at the solid model level. This information
should be transferred to the downstream applications, such as finite-element mesh generation
and process modelling. The attributes of interest include material properties and boundary
conditions (e.g., mechanical loading and heat transfer across an interface).
- Three-dimensional contact information. The information required for finite-element methods
analysis should be generated at this stage from the solid model after classifying the geometry
into different features, namely workpiece and tooling. Once the workpiece and the tools are
identified, intersections can be calculated and appropriate contact information generated. This
contact information can be supplied to each node after the finite-element methods mesh is
generated.
15
- Electronic data transfer. The data should be transferred according to standard procedures, such
as those based on the Initial Graphic Exchange Standard or the newly emerging Product Data
Exchange Standard/Standard Exchange Protocol standards.
INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING
Manufacturers today face a lot of challenges. Customers are demanding more and more
customizations which results in having smaller production batches, frequent changes, and more waste.
Supply lines are also decreasing and there is increased outsourcing. To compete, manufacturers need to
optimize the productivity of their expensive equipment, reduce waste, maximize yields, and reduce
cycle times. New capabilities for processing sensor data, along with big data, machine learning and
artificial intelligence, cloud and edge technologies are enabling a shift from reactive problem solving
towards increasingly proactive management of equipment, processes, product and factories.
By processing real-time data from machine sensors and applying AI and ML, it’s possible to
predict critical events and take preventive action to avoid problems. A smart factory can monitor
streaming sensor data using business rules and ML models to tell us about the health of our equipment
and processes. A wide range of solutions can be used to better understand equipment, processes,
products, operations, customers and sales; and then help act on the insights gained. Many
manufacturing companies throughout the world are already using intelligent manufacturing in the
following industries: semiconductor, electronics and medical devices; automotive & aviation;
equipment manufacturing, pharmaceuticals; chemicals, metals and mining and consumer packaged
goods.
Perhaps most of the promise and success of Industry 4.0 and IoT technologies for
manufacturing depends on effective ML, AI, big data, and other advanced analytic technologies,
comprehensively implemented to provide digital twin virtualization, insight, and predictability. In
16
addition, organizations also need to understand the details of how customers use their products in the
field and how products age or their reliability deteriorates or even when they would need maintenance.
Today, some manufacturers offer an additional service for proactive maintenance. Think about elevators
(Kone, Schindler, OTIS, ect) that send back information and alert when assistance is necessary. Such
insights will almost always open new business opportunities to enhance the customer experience. All
of this needs to happen while manufacturers are becoming more transparent and adhering to regulatory
requirements as they are common and increasingly relevant in most industries for managing consumer
risk.
17
Digital Factory Platform
The benefits of intelligent manufacturing include the ability to proactively detect and respond
to events, which improves quality, yield, and reduces the downtime and also leads to better overall
equipment effectiveness (OEE). By having a digital twin of the factory, it is possible to simulate
beforehand new productions and understand the bottlenecks. Intelligent manufacturing allows for
proactive changes in the supply chain and a smart inventory, optimizing other factory logistics including
packaging and transportation. Intelligent manufacturing can uncover new business opportunities,
revenue streams, and monetization of assets for a sustained competitive advantage. It can also automate,
orchestrate, and predict product failures for preventative maintenance to prevent downtime. With
intelligent manufacturing, you can process and analyze data in real time near the point of data generation
for rapid response to process anomalies.
In sales and marketing intelligent manufacturing can enable your organization to understand
markets, predict and adapt to customer preferences. For supply chain optimization, intelligent
manufacturing can help with forecast demand, optimize inventory, and monitor suppliers. Analytics has
always been used in supply chain organizations for forecasting and inventory management but in the
age of the IoT, we now know the position of just about everything and that requires more real-time
capabilities. 5G networks could take factories to the next level. 5G has the ability to support high
connection density with tens of thousands of endpoints, thereby truly enabling the use of industrial data
at scale.
Smart manufacturing can be used to enhance product and process quality with intelligent
statistical process control, yield management, and reliability analysis. Being able to understand and
demonstrate that processes are in control is at the heart of initiatives using Quality by Design (QbD)
and good manufacturing / documentation / security practices (GxP). Intelligent manufacturing can help
with regulatory compliance to standardize, automate, and monitor QbD and GxP initiatives. Being able
to demonstrate to regulators that processes are understood and in control can tax even the most
sophisticated of organizations. Analytics can be used for automated and validated regulatory reporting,
18
complete audit trail, version control, and electronic signatures to document changes to analytic
processes, procedures, and reports to monitor and automate workflow and approvals.
ENGINEERING OPTIMISATION
One of the simplest definitions for optimization is “doing the most with the least” (Gomez, et al. p. 301,
2006). Lockhart and Johnson (1996) define optimization as “the process of finding the most effective
or favourable value or condition”. The purpose of optimization is to achieve the “best” design relative
to a set of prioritized criteria or constraints. These include maximizing factors such as productivity,
strength, reliability, longevity, efficiency, and utilization. (Merrill, Custer, Daugherty, Westrick, &
Zeng, 2007). Engineers are often assigned design projects that require them to seek a solution that
efficiently locates a design that meets the identified criteria within the given constraints. Koen (2003)
defines the engineering method as “the strategy for causing the best change in a poorly understood
situation within the available resources”. Engineers are often forced to identify a few appropriate design
solutions and then decide which one best meets the need of the client. This decision-making process is
known as optimization.
19
3.0 CONCLUSION
Manufacturing technology provides the tools that enable production of all manufactured goods. These
master tools of industry magnify the effort of individual workers and give an industrial nation the power
to turn raw materials into the affordable, quality goods essential to today’s society. Manufacturing
technology provides the productive tools that power a growing, stable economy and a rising standard
of living.
20
REFERENCES
1. https://www.processonline.com.au/content/unknown/article/virtual-product-development-the-
engine-for-successful-enterprises-527038712
2. Orr, S. (1999), "The role of technology in manufacturing strategy: experiences from the
Australian wine industry", Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 45-55.
https://doi.org/10.1108/09576069910247591
3. https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/manufacturing-technology
4. Barber, K.D., Dewhurst, F.W., Burns, R.L.D.H. and Rogers, J.B.B. (2003), "Business‐process
modelling and simulation for manufacturing management: A practical way forward", Business
Process Management Journal, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 527-542.
https://doi.org/10.1108/14637150310484544
5. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=ncete_publications
21