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EBookClubs

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Book World of Possibilities

Download or read book World of Possibilities written by Charles F. Sabel and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-05-16 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book retells the history of Western industrialization, revealing possibilities unexplored in the nineteenth century, variants of which have come to transform present day economies. It shows that economic actors have historically been more aware of the great strategic choices they faced than standard theory credits them with being, and this surprising acuity allows them to imagine and put into practice solutions which current theories of industrial organization have scarcely anticipated. The book is therefore at one and the same time a contribution to a substantive revision of the history of mechanized production and a propaedeutic in a form of explanation that approximates the knowledge of the actor to the knowledge of the theorist. The volume groups essays presented by a multinational team of historians and social scientists drawing on intensive primary research on a wide range of firms, regions, sectors and national economies in Western Europe and the United States from the eighteenth century to the 1990s.

Book Flexible Manufacturing System

Download or read book Flexible Manufacturing System written by H. K. Shivanand and published by New Age International. This book was released on 2006-12 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About the Book: The book is intended to serve as a textbook for the final and pre-final year B.E., B. Tech. and M. Tech. students of Mechanical, Production, Manufacturing, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Automobile Engg., disciplines. This book can be used in industries, technical training institutes. This covers the main areas of interest in flexible manufacturing namely automation, flexible cells, workstation, AGV?s, AS/RS etc. Separate chapters have been devoted to the important topics. This book emphasizes the basic principles of working and the applications of a wide range of manufactur.

Book Beyond Mass Production

Download or read book Beyond Mass Production written by John Paul MacDuffie and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Design of Flexible Production Systems

Download or read book Design of Flexible Production Systems written by Tullio Tolio and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-12-11 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last decade, the production of mechanical components to be assembled in final products produced in high volumes (e.g. cars, mopeds, industrial vehicles, etc.) has undergone deep changes due to the overall modifications in the way companies compete. Companies must consider competitive factors such as short lead times, tight product tolerances, frequent market changes and cost reduction. Anyway, companies often have to define production objectives as trade-offs among these critical factors since it can be difficult to improve all of them. Even if system flexibility is often considered a fundamental requirement for firms, it is not always a desirable characteristic of a system because it requires relevant investment cost which can jeopardize the profitability of the firm. Dedicated systems are not able to adapt to changes of the product characteristics while flexible systems offer more flexibility than what is needed, thus increasing investment and operative costs. Production contexts characterized by mid to high demand volume of well identified families of products in continuous evolution do not require the highest level of flexibility; therefore, manufacturing system flexibility must be rationalized and it is necessary to find out the best trade-off between productivity and flexibility by designing manufacturing systems endowed with the right level of flexibility required by the production problem. This new class of production systems can be named Focused Flexibility Manufacturing Systems-FFMSs. The flexibility degree in FFMSs is related to their ability to cope with volume, mix and technological changes, and it must take into account both present and future changes. The required level of system flexibility impacts on the architecture of the system and the explicit design of flexibility often leads to hybrid systems, i.e. automated integrated systems in which parts can be processed by both general purpose and dedicated machines. This is a key issue of FFMSs and results from the matching of flexibility and productivity that respectively characterize FMSs and Dedicated Manufacturing Systems (DMSs). The market share of the EU in the machine tool sector is 44%; the introduction of focused flexibility would be particularly important for machine tool builders whose competitive advantage is based on the ability of customizing their systems on the basis of needs of their customers. In fact, even if current production contexts frequently present situations which would fit well with the FFMS approach, tradition and know-how of machine tool builders play a crucial role. Firms often agree with the focused flexibility vision, nevertheless they decide not to pay the risk and efforts related to the design of this new system architecture. This is due also to the lack of well-structured design approaches which can help machine tool builders to configure innovative systems. Therefore, the FFMS topic is studied through the book chapters following a shared mission: "To define methodologies and tools to design production systems with a minimum level of flexibility needed to face, during their lifecycle, the product and process evolution both in the technological and demand aspects. The goal is to find out the optimal trade-off between flexibility and productivity". The book framework follows the architecture which has been developed to address the FFMS Design problem. This architecture is both broad and detailed, since it pays attention to all the relevant levels in a firm hierarchy which are involved in the system design. Moreover, the architecture is innovative because it models both the point of view of the machine tool builder and the point of view of the system user. The architecture starts analyzing Manufacturing Strategy issues and generating the possible demand scenario to be faced. Technological aspects play a key role while solving process plan problems for the products in the part family. Strategic and technological data becomes input when a machine tool builder performs system configuration. The resulting system configurations are possible solutions that a system user considers when planning its system capacity. All the steps of the architecture are deeply studied, developing methods and tools to address each subproblem. Particular attention is paid to the methodologies adopted to face the different subproblems: mathematical programming, stochastic programming, simulation techniques and inverse kinematics have been used. The whole architecture provides a general approach to implement the right degree of flexibility and it allows to study how different aspects and decisions taken in a firm impact on each other. The work presented in the book is innovative because it gives links among different research fields, such as Manufacturing Strategy, Process Plan, System Design, Capacity Planning and Performance Evaluation; moreover, it helps to formalize and rationalize a critical area such as manufacturing system flexibility. The addressed problem is relevant at an academic level but, also, at an industrial level. A great deal of industrial sectors need to address the problem of designing systems with the right degree of flexibility; for instance, automotive, white goods, electrical and electronic goods industries, etc. Attention to industrial issues is confirmed by empirical studies and real case analyses which are presented within the book chapters.

Book Manufacturing Flexible Packaging

Download or read book Manufacturing Flexible Packaging written by Thomas Dunn and published by William Andrew. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Efficiently and profitably delivering quality flexible packaging to the marketplace requires designing and manufacturing products that are both "fit-to-use" and "fit-to-make". The engineering function in a flexible packaging enterprise must attend to these dual design challenges. Flexible Packaging discusses the basic processes used to manufacture flexible packaging products, including rotogravure printing, flexographic printing, adhesive lamination, extrusion lamination/coating; and finishing/slitting. These processes are then related to the machines used to practice them, emphasising the basics of machines’ control systems , and options to minimize wasted time and materials between production jobs. Raw materials are also considered, including the three basic forms: Rollstock (paper, foil, plastic films); Resin; and Wets (inks, varnishes, primers). Guidance is provided on both material selection, and on adding value through enhancement or modification of the materials’ physical features. A ‘measures’ section covers both primary material features – such as tensile, elongation, modulus and elastic and plastic regions – and secondary quality characteristics such as seal and bond strengths, coefficient of friction, oxygen barrier and moisture vapour barrier. Helps engineers improve existing raw material selection and manufacturing processes for manufacturing functional flexible packaging materials. Covers all aspects of delivering high value packaging to the customer – from the raw materials, to the methods of processing them, the machines used to do it, and the measures required to gauge the characteristics of the product. Helps engineers to minimize waste and unproductive time in production.

Book Flexible Manufacturing

Download or read book Flexible Manufacturing written by John E. Lenz and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing the basis for a formal flexible manufacturing design procedure, effective color graphics animation of simulation, and an economoc model for inverstment decisions, this important reference takes a fresh look at flexible manufacturing, going beyond computerization and mechanization to develop a unique technology.

Book Design of Flexible Production Systems

Download or read book Design of Flexible Production Systems written by Tullio Tolio and published by Springer. This book was released on 2009-08-29 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last decade, the production of mechanical components to be assembled in final products produced in high volumes (e.g. cars, mopeds, industrial vehicles, etc.) has undergone deep changes due to the overall modifications in the way companies compete. Companies must consider competitive factors such as short lead times, tight product tolerances, frequent market changes and cost reduction. Anyway, companies often have to define production objectives as trade-offs among these critical factors since it can be difficult to improve all of them. Even if system flexibility is often considered a fundamental requirement for firms, it is not always a desirable characteristic of a system because it requires relevant investment cost which can jeopardize the profitability of the firm. Dedicated systems are not able to adapt to changes of the product characteristics while flexible systems offer more flexibility than what is needed, thus increasing investment and operative costs. Production contexts characterized by mid to high demand volume of well identified families of products in continuous evolution do not require the highest level of flexibility; therefore, manufacturing system flexibility must be rationalized and it is necessary to find out the best trade-off between productivity and flexibility by designing manufacturing systems endowed with the right level of flexibility required by the production problem. This new class of production systems can be named Focused Flexibility Manufacturing Systems-FFMSs. The flexibility degree in FFMSs is related to their ability to cope with volume, mix and technological changes, and it must take into account both present and future changes. The required level of system flexibility impacts on the architecture of the system and the explicit design of flexibility often leads to hybrid systems, i.e. automated integrated systems in which parts can be processed by both general purpose and dedicated machines. This is a key issue of FFMSs and results from the matching of flexibility and productivity that respectively characterize FMSs and Dedicated Manufacturing Systems (DMSs). The market share of the EU in the machine tool sector is 44%; the introduction of focused flexibility would be particularly important for machine tool builders whose competitive advantage is based on the ability of customizing their systems on the basis of needs of their customers. In fact, even if current production contexts frequently present situations which would fit well with the FFMS approach, tradition and know-how of machine tool builders play a crucial role. Firms often agree with the focused flexibility vision, nevertheless they decide not to pay the risk and efforts related to the design of this new system architecture. This is due also to the lack of well-structured design approaches which can help machine tool builders to configure innovative systems. Therefore, the FFMS topic is studied through the book chapters following a shared mission: "To define methodologies and tools to design production systems with a minimum level of flexibility needed to face, during their lifecycle, the product and process evolution both in the technological and demand aspects. The goal is to find out the optimal trade-off between flexibility and productivity". The book framework follows the architecture which has been developed to address the FFMS Design problem. This architecture is both broad and detailed, since it pays attention to all the relevant levels in a firm hierarchy which are involved in the system design. Moreover, the architecture is innovative because it models both the point of view of the machine tool builder and the point of view of the system user. The architecture starts analyzing Manufacturing Strategy issues and generating the possible demand scenario to be faced. Technological aspects play a key role while solving process plan problems for the products in the part family. Strategic and technological data becomes input when a machine tool builder performs system configuration. The resulting system configurations are possible solutions that a system user considers when planning its system capacity. All the steps of the architecture are deeply studied, developing methods and tools to address each subproblem. Particular attention is paid to the methodologies adopted to face the different subproblems: mathematical programming, stochastic programming, simulation techniques and inverse kinematics have been used. The whole architecture provides a general approach to implement the right degree of flexibility and it allows to study how different aspects and decisions taken in a firm impact on each other. The work presented in the book is innovative because it gives links among different research fields, such as Manufacturing Strategy, Process Plan, System Design, Capacity Planning and Performance Evaluation; moreover, it helps to formalize and rationalize a critical area such as manufacturing system flexibility. The addressed problem is relevant at an academic level but, also, at an industrial level. A great deal of industrial sectors need to address the problem of designing systems with the right degree of flexibility; for instance, automotive, white goods, electrical and electronic goods industries, etc. Attention to industrial issues is confirmed by empirical studies and real case analyses which are presented within the book chapters.

Book Flexible Manufacturing Technologies and International Competitiveness

Download or read book Flexible Manufacturing Technologies and International Competitiveness written by Joseph Tidd and published by Burns & Oates. This book was released on 1991 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The drive to reduce costs and enhance competitiveness in manufacturing industry has led to greatly increased interest in industrial automation, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises. Although manufacturing robots and flexible machining systems (FMS) are no longer the exclusive preserve of the major industrial multi-nationals, their adoption has not been as widespread or as effective as was once predicted. The purpose of this book is to examine the international patterns of development and adoption of flexible automated manufacturing, to identify current and future best practice particularly in the emerging technology of robotic assembly, and to show how technology, industrial flexibility and competitiveness are inter-related.

Book Flexible Manufacturing Systems in Practice

Download or read book Flexible Manufacturing Systems in Practice written by Joseph Talavage and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-09-10 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book has been written for all those interested in flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and other forms of computerized manufacturing systems (CMS). It deals with many aspects of the design, operation, and simulation of FMS and explains the origins of FMS.

Book Flexible Manufacturing Systems in Practice

Download or read book Flexible Manufacturing Systems in Practice written by Roger Bonetto and published by Core/Mechanical. This book was released on 1988 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book Coping with Variety

Download or read book Coping with Variety written by Yannick Lung and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-08-14 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1999, this book explores pint points, compares and dates the development of product differentiation and variety. This book also analyses’ how firms have embraced a variety of ways of efficiently managing this verity though production, the design of the product as well as in the relations with the suppliers and distributors.

Book From the American System to Mass Production  1800 1932

Download or read book From the American System to Mass Production 1800 1932 written by David Hounshell and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 1984 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David A. Houndshell's widely acclaimed history explores the American "genius for mass production" and races its origins in the nineteenth-century "American system" of manufacture. Previous writers on the American system have argued that the technical problems of mass production had been solved by armsmakers before the Civil War. Drawing upon the extensive business and manufacturing records if leading American firms, Hounshell demonstrates that the diffusion of arms production technology was neither as fast now as smooth as had been assumed. Exploring the manufacture of sewing machines and furniture, bicycles and reapers, he shows that both the expression "mass production" and the technology that lay behind it were developments of the twentieth century, attributable in large part to the Ford Motor Company. Hounshell examines the importance of individuals in the diffusion and development of production technology and the central place of marketing strategy in the success of selected American manufacturers. Whereaas Ford was the seedbed of the assembly line revolution, it was General motors that initiated a new era with its introduction of the annual model change. With the new marketing strategy, the technology of "the changeover" became of paramount importance. Hounshell chronicles how painfully Ford learned this lesson and recounts how the successful mass production of automobiles led to the establishment of an "ethos of mass production," to an era in which propoments of "Fordism" argued that mass production would solve all of America's social problems.

Book The Transition to Flexibility

Download or read book The Transition to Flexibility written by Daniel C. Knudsen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The advanced capitalist nations are currently undergoing an enormous economic, social, and political transformation. At the heart of this transformation is the transition between large scale, standardized production (Fordism) and new, more flexible approaches to manufacturing (flexibility), and a concomitant extension of manufacturing to include products both concrete (goods) and ephemeral (services). This volume explores the consequences of this transition from the standpoints of technology, labor relations, firm strategy, education, government programs, and geography. The book is a collection of papers by well-known scholars investigating the current global transition from mass consumption and production to flexible production for niche markets. The book is unique in that it not only discusses standard economic concerns, but also investigates the social and political implications of this transition. Each chapter is concerned with a different aspect of the same restructuring process.

Book Implementing Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Download or read book Implementing Flexible Manufacturing Systems written by Nigel R. Greenwood and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 1988 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) are computer-controlled, automated production lines capable of varied outputs: they put together computing software, robotics, manufacturing technology with existing engineering design skills to produce a very flexible system. Based on the author's own practical experience, this book provides a general insider's appreciation in keeping with current thinking in engineering education which will be suitable for advanced students. For the professional engineer, it stresses commercial as well as technical considerations.