1.12 Feasibility Studies Flashcards
What are lean manufacturing methods?
It concerns minimising waste in terms of time and materials.
What is essential to achieving lean manufacture?
computer modelling production
What are buffer zones in production lines?
They are temporary storage areas where partially completed work is stored while slower tasks or processes are completed
How is computer modelling integrated into production lines?
Computer software will be used to plan out the production cells, the location of work stations, storage, tools, equipment and robots that operate along the assembly line. The manufacturers can also test the efficiency of the production line and assess if there are going to be problems with the manufacture. It is possible to predict where there might be bottle necks on the production line due to some processes taking longer than others. These predictions can be used to plan where ‘buffer zones’ might be needed.
What is meant by the cycle time?
The amount of time it takes for a manufacturing process to be completed
What is meant by the takt time?
It is used in lean manufacturing to describe the maximum amount of time in which a product must be produced to meet consumer demand
How do you find the takt time of a lean manufacturing production line?
available production time per day / customer demand per day
How can simple software be used to consider the feasibility and costs of a production line?
Simple software such as a spreadsheet can be used to calculate costs of production. These are split into direct costs such as materials and labour, and indirect costs such as factory lighting, rent and salaries. The costs can then be compared against the price that will be charged to the customer, to determine potential profits and whether it is feasible or practical to go into production.
How can sophisticated software be used to consider feasibility and costs for a production line?
More sophisticated computer modelling is available to calculate the costs of production of specific products such as injection mouldings. Software is available to calculate the costs of moulds including any cores for hollow products, the material and cycle time for the machine. This would be set against the number of units to be made given the cost of production.
What does it mean by a prototype?
A functioning or non-functioning pre-production model that can be used to evaluate with potential consumers
