Introduction to process planning

Question 1

what does process planning refer to?

Answer 1

to planning the manufacturing processes for the economical production of high quality products,

• deciding processes and their sequence
• determining tooling requirements
• selecting equipment
• estimating costs

Question 2

who does traditionally accomplish process planning?

Answer 2

traditionally, process planning is done by manufacturing engineers, based on their knowledge, skills, and expertise.
some details may be decided bby specialists, like the tool designer

Question 3

detailed decisions in process planning

Answer 3

• processes with a brief description and their sequence
• specify cutting tools and cutting parameters
• equipment to be used
• methods for the machining, both for manual and for machine operations
• estimate production costs

Question 4

process planning for parts

Answer 4

processes needed largely depend on the material, so the material choice is a premise for the definition of the process plan. Once the product designer has selected the material, the processing sequence has some typical steps:

1. a basic process to obtain the basic geometry of the piece
2. one or more secondary processes to obtain the final shape
3. operations to enhance physical properties (may not be done)
4. finishing operations, like painting

Question 5

what is the route sheet?

Answer 5

a document that specifies the details of the process plan, including all the operations in the correct order

Question 6

process planning for assemblies

Answer 6

• for single stations, the document is a list of assembly steps, in the correct order
• for assembly lines, process planning consists of line balancing

Question 7

make or buy decisions

Answer 7

for each required part, a manufacturing company should decide if make or buy it; the decision is performed considering the cost of the two options.