International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR 2013)
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11th International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR2013)
19th - 20th September 2013
Editors: Essam Shehab, Peter Ball, Benny Tjahjono
Organised by: Cranfield University
ISBN: 978-1-907413-23-0
ISSN: 2053-3373
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Browsing International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR 2013) by Type "Conference paper"
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Item Open Access Achieving workplace inclusiveness by using ergonomics risk assessment(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Hussain, Amjad; Case, Keith; Marshall, Russell; Summerskill, SteveTraditional manufacturing work practices do not consider human variability issues during the design process. However, most manual assembly activities demand high levels of repetition and speed without compromising product quality and work productivity. Individual factors including age, gender, skill, experience and anthropometry cause variations in task strategies that lead to variations in individual and organizational work performance. The ergonomics-based risk assessment methods OWAS, REBA and RULA have been used to evaluate risk levels associated with working methods. This paper discusses the need for these methods to understand and highlight the key issues generated by these variations with the objective of minimizing these variations. Methods that can be used to promote working strategies that minimize the level of risk are described. The proposed research method potentially reduces work-related musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, pain, and promotes safe, healthy, productive and more inclusive working strategies suitable for a diverse working population.Item Open Access Advanced automated fibre placement(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Krombholz, Christian; Delisle, Dominik; Perner, MarcusThe further increase of production rates while maintaining or improving quality and lower costs demand the development of new manufacturing solutions. For this purpose, within the project GroFi® the German Aerospace Center (DLR) develops a new plant, processes and sensor systems that enable a productive, cost-reducing manufacturing with an increase in quality of large-scale composite structures. The plant concept is a novel robot-based multi-head fibre placement facility, that coordinates its up to 8 layup units working on one or more components simultaneously. For the coordination of these layup units a closed CAD-CAM simulation was developed, that generates a time and / or cost-effective manufacturing process. To increase quality and productivity additionally, a comprehensive sensor system has been developed. This development of the DLR in the field of an advanced automated fibre placement technology serves the requirements of the current aviation industry.Item Open Access Advanced periodic maintenance scheduling methods for aircraft lifecycle management(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Fedotova, Alena; Taratoukhine, Victor; Ovsyannikov, MikhailThis paper reviews existing methods and techniques addressing the problem of maintenance support throughout the life cycle for high value manufacturing products such as aircrafts. As part of this doctorate research the analysis of current methods of maintenance scheduling was conducted. In order to contribute to a more comprehensive solution, an advanced approach (algorithm) of periodic maintenance is presented. The authors believe that this approach will reduce the cost of maintenance of high value manufacturing products. The algorithm based on constraint programming methods is briefly presented and the future research directions are discussed.Item Open Access Analysis of the “make or buy” decision process in a research and development sme(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Sarkandi, Mohammad; Baguley, Paul; Tiwari, AshutoshStart-up SMEs face various challenges and difficulties during their existence and due to their nature they often lack knowledge and resources to fully address these challenges. Unlike large companies which have access to various resources, those resources are a significant gap for SMEs and the business owners have to rely on their own limited knowledge. The “Make or buy” decision is a critical decision in an organisation. This decision can affect current and future costs, capability and competences in the company and by taking best practice approaches and measures towards the decision making, extensive costs can be potentially saved. In this study, literature best practices have been reviewed. In addition a small company has been studied and the current practices of the company have been compared to academic best practices. The result of the study will be used to improve the “Make or buy” decision process in the company.Item Open Access Applications and benefits of digital human models to improve the design of workcells in car’s manufacturing plants according to international standards(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Spada, Stefania; Germanà, Danila; Ghibaudo, Lidia; Sessa, FabrizioDuring last years, the car’s manufacturing process has deeply changed because of several factors affected the automotive global scenario. As a consequence, design methodologies of the plant’s workcells have changed. In particular, ergonomics for manufacturing system has become a key factor to improve product’s quality, safety and work organization. In this paper, the authors show the approach used in Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA) based on simulation tools to analyse ergonomic aspects of work-cells already in design phase. Simulation tools allow a deep postural analysis that is one of the main criticism in the design phase. The principles of Digital Human Modeling have been used to develop an easy internal virtual manikin, the Human Model. The tool, based on ISO standards and on a worldwide anthropometric database, allows designers to simulate the most probable postures engaged by operator during work tasks as well as to validate improvements and corrective actions.Item Open Access Applying performance measures to support informed decision making at an operational level(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Moreira, Madalena; Tjahjono, Benny; Julião, JorgePerformance Measurement Systems (PMS) have commonly been applied to evaluate and reward performances at managerial levels, especially in the context of supply chain management. However, evidence suggests that the effective use of PMS can also positively influence the behaviour and improve performance at an operational level. The purpose of the study described in this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that adopts performance measures for ex-ante decision-making at an operational level within the supply chain. A case study at Coca-Cola Enterprises has been carried out and as a result, a conceptual framework of the PMS has been developed.Item Open Access Automating human skills : preliminary development of a human factors methodology to capture tacit cognitive skills(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Caird-Daley, Antoinette; Fletcher, Sarah R.; Baker, WilliamDespite technological advances in intelligent automation, it remains difficult for engineers to discern which manual tasks, or task components, would be most suitable for transfer to automated alternatives. This research aimed to develop an accurate methodology for the measurement of both observable and unobservable physical and cognitive activities used in manual tasks for the capture of tacit skill. Experienced operators were observed and interviewed in detail, following which, hierarchical task analysis and task decomposition methods were used to systematically explore and classify the qualitative data. Results showed that a task analysis / decomposition methodology identified different types of skill (e.g. procedural or declarative) and knowledge (explicit or tacit) indicating this methodology could be used for further human skill capture studies. The benefit of this research will be to provide a methodology to capture human skill so that complex manual tasks can be more efficiently transferred into automated processes.Item Open Access Automation from lean perspective-potentials and challenges(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Zafarzadeh, Masoud; Jackson, MatsThe competitive climate of production and high labour cost, motivate western companies to use technologies like automation as a mean to increase manufacturing competitiveness. On the other hand companies are aware about cost reductive policies like lean production which has shown noticeable achievement, consequently some manufacturers tend to follow such system. In this situation, in order to have lean enterprise, it is vital to find a clear picture of challenges and potentials of implementing automation within a lean environment. So, finding the right level and type of automation becomes vital for companies, and achieving this is not possible without a lean development of automation. The paper presents an overview of automation development from a lean perspective. The focus is on manufacturing and a case study in the automotive industry is presented. Challenges and potentials of automation are pinpointed and some suggestions regarding automation development is given.Item Open Access Barriers to total quality management (tqm)-Implementation in the mauritian food industry(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Shameer, Danyen; Sing, CallychurnThis study was undertaken to determine some of the barriers to the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in the population of medium to large Mauritian food manufacturing companies (MFMC), which were then compared with those identified in Indian and USA manufacturing industries. For this purpose, a questionnaire was sent to the population via e-mail. After carrying out exploratory factor analysis and reliability test, all constructs/investigated barriers were found to be valid and reliable. On comparing the mean ratings for the barriers, the local companies obtained the lowest mean rating that was significantly different (p<0.05) from Indian and USA manufacturing companies. This showed that these barriers had not yet impacted greatly in MFMC. However, the two potential obstacles identified in the Mauritian context were: employee’s resistance to change and frequent turnover of employees.Item Open Access The bees algorithm: Modelling nature to solve complex optimisation problems(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Pham, Duc; Le-Thi, Hoai; Castellani, MarcoThe Bees Algorithm models the foraging behaviour of honey bees in order to solve optimisation problems. The algorithm performs a kind of exploitative neighbourhood search combined with random explorative search. This paper describes the Bees Algorithm and presents two application examples: the training of neural networks to predict the energy efficiency of buildings, and the solution of the protein folding problem. The Bees Algorithm proved its effectiveness and speed, and obtained very competitive modelling accuracies compared with other state-of-the-art methods.Item Open Access Benefit realisation modelling for ERP systems using system dynamics(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Badewi, Amgad; Shehab, Essam; Peppard, JoeAchieving success for ERP systems is not only concerned with deploying the technology on time and on budget but also concerned with the level of achieving targeted benefits from the system. This level of achieving targeted benefits can be managed indirectly through managing the organisational attitude toward the new system. Thus, the aim of this paper is to use the System Dynamics (SD) to reveal how managing organisational attitude leads to an increase in the level of system use and, therefore, leads to a decrease in the level of resistance to change to new system for achieving high level of performance. SD is used to investigate the causal loops of organisational attitude, perceptions, behaviours, and policies taken to achieve desired benefits. The ability to manage an organisational attitude toward ERP is an important factor for achieving desired levels of benefits is the main conclusion of this research.Item Open Access Building creative confidence in idea management processes to improve idea generation in new product development teams(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Perez Garcia, Marta; Bolton, SimonThis is a scoping paper that aims to establish effective practices and key players in the domain of Idea Management. The paper defines Idea Management as the generation, evaluation and selection of ideas. The purpose of the paper is to map the current landscape of methodologies and tools in order to identify gaps and support the development of a framework to enhance creative confidence in idea management. The study has two key research questions: (i) what factors are influencing current idea generation practices and (ii) what tools and approaches exist for idea generation. This will help identify how creative confidence can influence the idea generation processes. Creative confidence is the capability to come up with breakthrough ideas, associated with the bravery to perform. If stimulated in the right way with a valuable framework, its impact on employees’ performance is significant in improving team members’ innovation performance and quality of ideas.Item Open Access Capturing the industrial requirements of set-based design for CONGA framework - Final(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Al-Ashaab, Ahmed; Golob, Matic; Noriega, Paula; Torriani, Filippo; Alvarez, Pedro; Beltran, Ana; Busachi, Alessandro; Ex-Ignotis, Lambert; Rigatti, Carlotta; Sharma, SanjivThe Configuration Optimisation of Next-Generation Aircraft (CONGA) is a proposed framework in a response industrial need to enhance the aerospace capability in the UK. In order to successfully address this challenge, a need to develop a true multi-disciplinary Set-Based Design (SBD) capability that could deploy new technologies on novel configurations more quickly and with greater confidence was identified. This paper presents the first step towards the development of the SBD capabilities which is to elicit the industrial requirement of the SBD process for the key aerospace industrial partners involved in this CONGA approach.Item Open Access Challenges of lean thinking application in product-service system(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Elnadi, Moustafa; Shehab, Essam; Peppard, JoeLean thinking is claimed to be as important to services as it has been to manufacturing. However, there is yet a lack of empirical research examining the possibility of applying lean thinking in Product-Service System (PSS). This paper aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the challenges of applying lean thinking in PSS. To achieve this aim, twenty interviews were conducted with participants that have a good experience in lean implementation. Those participants are working in UK manufacturing companies that implement PSS. Also, a comprehensive review of the published literature was executed to achieve a depth understanding of the various challenges already identified by other researchers. The findings highlight a number of challenges that emerge during the application of lean thinking in PSS, among them: understanding of lean, limited communication and leadership, and defining waste.Item Open Access Characterisation of the relationship between surface texture and surface integrity of superalloy components machined by grinding(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Zeng, Quanren; Liu, Geng; Qin, Yi; Liu, LanThe surface texture of a machined component is influenced largely by the processing parameters used during machining and hence, there is a relationship between both the formation of the surface texture and surface integrity of the machined component. In the study to be reported in this paper, GH4169, a hard-to-cut superalloy, widely used in aero-engines, was selected for a detailed investigation into the relationship between the surface texture and the component-performance (surface integrity) of the machined components for which a series of grinding experiments with different grinding-wheels and grinding parameter-values was carried out in order to quantitatively analyze variations of the surface roughness with processing parameters. Further, considering that the features of the ground-surfaces measured are of a random nature, statistic properties of the produced surfaces were revealed and characterised with power spectral density function (PSD) and auto-covariance function(ACV) method respectively.Item Open Access A collaboration framework to support decision making in new product development with the supply chain(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Hasan, Syed; Shah, Satya; Gao, James X.Management use the supply chain features more frequently, as the increasing rate of product introduc-tions demands more efforts from a business to deliver new products effectively and efficiently. To produce products at the targeted cost, time, and quality, the supply chain must be aligned with product development processes. This will allow manufacturing firms to overcome problems such as (partially) failed product launches due to the lack of timely provision of parts and systems caused by insufficient capacities in the supply chain. With integrated New Product Development (NPD) and Supply Chain Management (SCM), enterprises have the benefit of increased supply chain capability, thus increasing the effectiveness of new product introduction and improving their overall performance. In this re-search, the authors have tried to link NPD of an automotive manufacturer to its global network of suppliers. The integration points in the integrated NPD and SCM framework will provide guidelines to identifying where critical decision are made in collaboration with the supply chain.Item Open Access Comparison of the environmental impact of the crimson process with normal sand casting process(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Zeng, Binxu; Salonitis, Konstantinos; Jolly, Mark R.The CRIMSON process is an alternative process to conventional casting that can be used for small to medium batch sizes. The aim of this process are to improve the casting quality and reduce the energy consumption within light-metal casting industry. Nowadays, the energy efficiency becomes more and more important. This is not only about the cost of the production, but also about the environmental effect. In this paper, the CRIMSON process will be compared with the conventional sand casting process. The Life cycle assessment (LCA) method will be used to assess the environmental impact of both casting processes.Item Open Access Configuration of robust manufacturing systems(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Heinicke, MatthiasConsidering the increasing turbulence in the markets, many companies are faced with the task of responding to changes in customer demand in a flexible and timely manner. A variety of current research projects in terms of configuration of production systems deals with the increasing flexibility of several elements of a production system or the entire system, to meet the need for flexible responses. Furthermore, there is the avoidance or reduction of any kind of waste, including the creation of standards for the information and material flow processes at the heart of the company's efforts. Against this background, also organisationally robust processes are increasingly becoming the focus of operational actors. This paper points out the possibilities of influencing production systems and what characteristics exist regarding the requirement of structural changes. In this context, production control by defined loops and checking structural performance are indicators relevant to the focus of following considerations.Item Open Access A cost engine system for estimating whole-life cycle cost of long-term digital preservation activities(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Sanya, Isaac; Shehab, Essam; Badawy, MohamedThis research paper presents a cost engine system that estimates the whole life cycle cost of long-term digital preservation (LTDP) activities using cloud-based technologies. A qualitative research methodology has been employed and the activity based costing (ABC) technique has been used to develop the cost model. The unified modelling language (UML) notation and the object oriented paradigm (OOP) are utilised to design the architecture of the software system. In addition, the service oriented architecture (SOA) style has been used to deploy the function of the cost engine as a web service in order to ensure its accessibility over the web. The cost engine is a module that is part of a larger digital preservation system and has been validated qualitatively through experts’ opinion. Its benefits are realised in the accurate and detailed estimation of cost for companies wishing to employ LTDP activities.Item Open Access Cost modelling for cloud computing utilisation in long term digital preservation(Cranfield University Press, 2013-09-19) Shehab, Essam; Sanya, Isaac; Badawy, Mohamed; Ocal, Fatma; Namiesnik, Bartosz; Morineau, Julien; Odika, Stephen; Fernandez Ortiz, ZairaThe rapid increase in volume of digital information can cause concern among organisations regarding manageability, costs and security of their information in the long-term. As cloud computing technology is often used for digital preservation purposes and is still evolving, there is difficulty in determining its long-term costs. This paper presents the development of a generic cost model for public and private clouds utilisation in long term digital preservation (LTDP), considering the impact of uncertainties and obsolescence issues. The cost model consists of rules and assumptions and was built using a combination of activity based and parametric cost estimation techniques. After generation of cost breakdown structures for both clouds, uncertainties and obsolescence were categorised. To quantify impacts of uncertainties on cost, three-point estimate technique was employed and Monte Carlo simulation was applied to generate the probability distribution on each cost driver. A decision support cost estimation tool with dashboard representation of results was developed.