Automatic Engineering Presentation/e Algorithms and constraints and What’s good for the West can be good for the East

Automatic Engineering Presentation/e Algorithms and constraints and What’s good for the West can be good for the East
Read the article below and prepare a presentation project
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MPM OPTIONS
There are many manufacturing process management
solutions on the market. Here’s a list of a few products.
JDA’s JDA Sequencing
Mentor Graphics’ Capital Harness MPM
Proplanner’s Assembly Planner
PTC’s Windchill MPMLink
Siemens’ Tecnomatix Manufacturing Process
Management Solution
Syspro’s ERP Manufacturing Process
Management Software
TGI’s Enterprise 21 Manufacturing Management
Software
Automatic engineering
Asian manufacturers can duplicate Western improvements with MPM systems
By Robin Owens and Rob Timms
The majority of large assembly manufacturers in Asia use sophisticated database systems for product design and
manufacturing execution. These product data management (PDM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have
integrated tools to reuse the data within the database for a variety of engineering and planning functions.
For most of these companies, the design and planning of assembly operations relies on disparate data and systems, with
homegrown or standalone engineering analysis tools. This applies to almost all companies involved in mass production,
whether they are assembling cars, tractors, electronics or home appliances.
To understand the current state, manufacturing executives
should ask their factory leadership teams the following
questions:
How many different file formats, systems and locations
(e.g., Excel, Word, Access) do you have for your
various assembly process data, including process plans,
bills of materials, work instructions, time studies and
line balancing scenarios?
What are the annual costs of locating and maintaining
data in these disparate files, systems and departments?
What are the production cost, quality and output
impacts each year due to process data not being
accurate and up to date?
How many engineering hours are spent per year on
timeconsuming,
manual tasks like implementing
changes from product engineering to the shop floor,
rebalancing assembly lines and creating operator work instructions?
How quickly and often can you rebalance your lines to align with market demand? Are the operators on the line
assigned to stations in a way that maximizes efficiency and minimizes idle time and direct labor costs?
Manufacturing process management (MPM) systems are the future state of assembly manufacturing as they centralize
assembly process data into one sharable location and provide integrated, advanced engineering analysis tools. MPM
provides one system for complex, interconnected functions such as process planning, engineering changes, work
instructions, time and motion study, and assembly line balancing.
Product data can be imported to the MPM system from product design systems and process data exported from the MPM
system to manufacturing execution systems, electronically bridging the gap that exists in many companies today. MPM
benefits include:
Improved production quality, cost and output from accurate and uptodate
engineering data
Improved engineering quality, cost and output from reuse of process data and advanced, integrated engineering
tools
Assembly lines rebalanced and optimized in hours, instead of days or weeks, with automated reports and charts
Reduced direct labor costs from minimizing operator idle time on the line
Assembling disparate data
The start of the assembly line design process begins with process/manufacturing engineers receiving an engineering bill
of materials (eBOM) from product design engineers. The process engineers then create a manufacturing bill of materials
(mBOM) from the eBOM that reflects how the product will be assembled. The mBOM might require parts not included in
the eBOM like glue, grease and packaging materials. Process engineers might create additional subassemblies that do not
exist in the eBOM. The mBOMs usually are managed in Excel files and manually entered into ERP systems.
Process engineers also have to define a complete list of work activities required to build each product, including the
parts, tools, process times, model option mapping, etc., associated to each activity. This assembly process plan also is
called a product routing or bill of process. In Asia, many multibilliondollar
manufacturing companies rely on hundreds of
Excel files to house the official assembly process plans. Other companies may use Word, Access or standalone systems.
For example, the official process plan for one small electronics assembly line was stored in more than 70 different Excel
files, with 15 to 25 tabs each. The ownership of these Excel files was distributed among multiple engineers, and the files
were stored in multiple locations. If an engineer was out on vacation or sick, then his or her files were unavailable.
Keeping the official process plan up to date was difficult, as part and tool information was owned by separate
departments. Requests to access this data by other departments involved in assembly process planning either took a
significant amount of time or were overlooked.
With the mBOM and process plan in disconnected files, it is difficult to ensure that the parts and assemblies in an mBOM
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match the parts and assemblies consumed by the work activities. This can lead to quality issues and part shortages on the
factory floor, hampering production output and increasing costs.
In MPM systems, the assembly process plan is stored in a central, secure database. There is one master set of data, which
is shared by the various engineering departments. All engineers can view and edit the process plan concurrently.
Engineers attach additional process data to each individual work activity, such as parts consumed, tools used, process
time, and applicable product models and options. This data is reused within the MPM system for subsequent functions
required in the design and planning of the assembly operation.
Within the same system, mBOMs are created and managed. Because all BOMs and processes are stored in the same
location, the two can be compared electronically to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
When product engineering makes a design change, the new eBOM can be electronically or manually imported from the
PDM system and compared directly with the mBOM to highlight any differences. This lets the process engineer quickly
and easily make changes to the mBOM and corresponding changes to the process plan within one system. Reading
through printed documents or looking through multiple different electronic files is no longer necessary.
When all engineering changes are complete, the engineer can perform a comparison between the mBOM and process plan
to ensure that all parts in the mBOM are consumed by the work activities. This capability to update and verify the
assembly process plan better enables engineers to perform advanced design and planning functions that depend on
accurate and up to date process data.
Linking plans and operators
Work instructions are an important aspect of assembly operations, and they require accurate process data. Many assembly
manufacturers in Asia manually maintain their work instructions in Excel or Word. In the case of manually maintained
documents, engineers spend large amounts of time not only keeping the work instructions up to date but also formatting
the documents. Valuable engineering time is spent on these nonvalueadded
administrative activities.
Other companies use a separate software system to format their work instructions automatically. In order to generate
these documents automatically, the process plan must be duplicated in the work instruction system. Manual updates need
to be made to the work instruction data for every single change in the assembly process plan. Therefore, the same
information needs to be edited, updated and maintained in multiple locations, duplicating an already lengthy, timeconsuming
process.
In both cases, the effectiveness of these work instructions depends on how quickly and accurately the engineers perform
updates. Inaccurate work instructions and delays in communicating changes to the shop floor lead to operator mistakes,
production delays and increased operating costs.
As noted earlier, engineers manage the official process plan in the MPM database. The MPM system is then capable of
generating work instructions using the data in the MPM database. Work instructions can be created in the form of a
printed report, which automatically pulls the process data into a standard or customized work instruction template. These
instructions also can be communicated to the shop floor electronically through the use of monitors connected to the
MPM system, as shown in Figure 1.
Whenever the process plan changes as a result of engineering changes, line balancing or general process improvement,
operator work instructions are updated automatically. There is no need for the engineers to update, edit or reformat the
work instruction documents in Excel, Word or a separate work instruction system. And because the data exists in only
one place, the verification, validation and correction only needs to be made once. As long as the engineer knows that the
process plan is correct, the work instructions are guaranteed to be accurate.
This direct link between process plan and operator work instructions increases engineering efficiency and ensures higher
quality and current work instructions. Better work instructions lead to higher quality and output on the shop floor,
reducing losses caused by operator mistakes and production delays.
Better data, better work activities
Before industrial engineers can assign work activities to specific assembly stations, they need to obtain the process times
for each activity. Most Asian industrial engineers use estimated times in the early stages and then perform stopwatch time
studies after a mockup
has been created. Some companies use MTM, MOST and MODAPTS predetermined motion time
systems (PMTS) to determine process times.
In Asia, by far the most common method to determine
process times is a stopwatch time study. However, next to
estimated times, this is the least accurate method. With a
stopwatch time study, the engineer observes the live
operation, records observed times for each work activity
and judges the operator’s speed rating. Once the data is
captured, engineers cannot go back and check the accuracy
of the observed time and speed rating. Engineers then input
the data into a homegrown Excel spreadsheet to calculate
the labor standard times. Alternately, IEs might use a
standalone software system to perform time studies. They
might enter data into this system manually or capture the
data directly during observations. And, again, there is no
way to verify data accuracy after information is recorded.
Frequently, the work activities in time studies do not match
the work activities as defined in the official process plan
because, in many cases, the process designers did not
perform the time studies, and sharing data between
departments is limited. In both cases, manual data entry
and duplication of data between systems creates timeconsuming,
nonvalueadded
work for the industrial
engineer and can lead to errors in line balancing and ERP
planning functions.
MPM systems offer builtin
capabilities to estimate times;
perform stopwatch and video time studies; or create MTM,
MOST and MODAPTS PMTS studies.
One method engineers prefer is to capture videos of the
work, load the videos into the MPM system, and perform a
video time study using the work activities previously defined
by the process engineer. Video time studies are more
accurate than traditional methods because the associated
video clip can be viewed and subsequently edited to
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increase its accuracy. Figure 2 details a video time study in an MTM system.
While obtaining process times in an MPM system, IEs also can perform detailed lean analyses to eliminate waste within the
work activities and ergonomics analyses to reduce cumulative stresses on the operator.
Additional benefits of storing the various process data in the same system include the reuse of process times, pictures and
videos in work instructions and assembly line balancing. Process times also can be reused to estimate production times
for new products by reusing the work activities in the database for a completely new process plan.
Algorithms and constraints
Assembly line balancing optimally assigns work activities to stations while considering constraints such as precedence
relationships, task groups, monumental resources, etc. This is a complex mathematical optimization problem that defines
the required number of operators on the line while trying to minimize the idle time of each operator.
The majority of assembly manufacturers in Asia use homegrown Excel models for this optimization problem. These models
rarely use mathematical algorithms or consider the aforementioned constraints. Additionally, the parts and tools required
for each work activity rarely are accounted for due to the complexity of such a model. Frequently, these systems rely
solely on the engineer to assign work activities to stations, offering no suggestion about which station is best or feedback
if a violation has been committed.
Normally, the data in the line balance model is maintained separately from time studies, work instructions and process
plans. Engineers manually collect the data from these disparate systems and create the associated charts and reports for
analysis.
In the automotive industry, rebalancing a line to consider changes in market demand takes weeks or months, with no
guarantee that the results will be practical. One large car outsourcing manufacturer in Asia wanted to move from batch
production to mixedmodel
assembly lines to match supply with market demand better. However, this company couldn’t
make the change because its various Excel spreadsheets couldn’t handle the complexities of mixedmodel
production.
This left them with excess inventory, less flexibility and slower response to market demand.
MPM systems use one set of assembly process data and reuse that information for complex interconnected engineering
functions, including single and mixedmodel
line balancing. For example, if a time study engineer changes a process
time, then that information is updated automatically and considered in the line balance.
In MPM systems, process data is attached to the work activity (e.g., parts consumed, tools required, process time,
product models and options that require the task). Because these relationships are maintained in the database, this
additional information can be factored into the model when performing a line balance. Because this data is linked to each
work activity, the information will move with the activity from station to station when the activity is reassigned. This
allows engineers to produce reports that automatically summarize the line balance results. For example, a report will show
what parts and tools will be required at a given station or a list of parts and tools that need to be moved between stations
as a result of a line rebalance.
Furthermore, MPM systems are capable of using advanced algorithms like COMSOAL (computer method of sequencing
operations for assembly lines) to compute a line balance automatically. Engineers can rebalance a line by clicking a
button, minimizing labor requirements while considering realworld
constraints to ensure that the results are practical. The
ability to achieve line balance results easily also enables engineers to run multiple whatif
scenarios quickly to determine
how changes would affect the line. In addition to performing singlemodel
line balances, these algorithms are capable of
balancing more complex mixedmodel
lines based on both peakmodel
and weightedaverage
time constraints.
MPM systems also enable engineers to make manual changes quickly and easily to any automatic line balance results.
Since the data are interconnected, the engineer can make informed decisions about whether to reassign a task from one
station to another and see the results immediately.
By enabling engineers to rebalance a line more quickly, MPM systems allow the option of rebalancing more frequently to
ensure that the line operates at peak efficiency as product demands change. Because the MPM system considers real
world constraints, it ensures the quality of the line balance.
Advanced engineering tools for assembly line balancing increase engineering efficiency, minimize direct labor costs, and
ensure that operators are assigned to the stations where they are needed. Once the line balance is complete, MPM can
export data to the ERP system, including the mBOM, product routing, process times, work activitystation
assignments
and part delivery locations. The process plan is created using the same data structure as ERP systems, permitting data
transfer between databases and eliminating the need to update the ERP system manually.
MPM systems also offer additional functionalities like virtual build visualization, where engineers view 3D
product CAD
files to see how the product build progresses from activity to activity and station to station. Process FMEAs and control
plans can be managed in the MPM system along with the process data. Additionally in MPM, ergonomic analyses could be
performed on the work activities to ensure that the load on each operator does not exceed regional standards.
Lean factories require lean material handling systems. MPM systems can serve as a plan for every part database. The part
logistics data can be combined with the process data, line balance results and production schedule to support electronic
kitting and kanban systems. This results in lower inventory, fewer part shortages and faster part deliveries to the line.
What’s good for the West can be good for the East
Fortunately, manufacturing executives in Asia are as visionary and as driven to improve as their counterparts in the West.
They also understand that their factories cannot rely on low labor costs indefinitely, as demonstrated by the rapidly
changing situation in China. Manufacturing leaders in Asia recognize the need to do more than just execute well. There is
a strong need for innovation in engineering and assembly operations to stay competitive.
Manufacturing in any geographic location presents its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages, but many
challenges are the same worldwide. Often, executives in Asia even find themselves working for Western companies. But
while adoption of MPM systems in Asia has been limited, Western manufacturing executives have found MPM to be a key
component in meeting these challenges.
The primary issue now preventing MPM implementation in Asia is a lack of information regarding its benefits. A recent
industry research paper revealed some of the benefits experienced by Western companies through the use of MPM.
According to Eric Miller, operations program manager at Electrolux Major Appliances, huge time savings were experienced
in the creation of operator work instructions.
“Whenever we changed a routing or bill of material, we had to go through job detail sheets, update pictures, activities
and materials,” Miller said in the 2009 TechClarity
Inc. report. “If an operation moved from one step to the next in
precedence, we had to update multiple sheets, and it could take one to two weeks. Now, we use the power of the
relational database so that tools, work instructions and other information automatically move with the activity.”
What once took Electrolux two weeks can now be completed almost immediately.
Case New Holland was challenged by its need to perform mixedmodel
line balancing scenarios on complex products like
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tractors and combine harvesters, although the company has expanded its use of MPM to include almost all available
features of the system based on its success in line balancing and other areas. According to the TechClarity
Inc. paper,
rebalancing lines, which used to take a week, now take less than a day through the MPM system.
These two companies were able to complete engineering processes more quickly and accurately because MPM addressed
specific needs and challenges faced by companies worldwide. By correctly using MPM to meet these challenges,
companies in the West have achieved specific production goals by maximizing efficiency in both engineering and
assembly.
This is perhaps best stated by Pat Frey, vice president of production control and logistics for Android Industries, which is
a large supplier of complex prebuilt
assemblies to automotive companies like Ford, General Motors and Toyota.
“Our goal was a 10 percent increase in efficiency,” Frey said, according to the TechClarity
researchers. “We blew by 10
percent very quickly, and two plants overshot 10 percent in the first four months. … The net result of our MPM program
was a doubledigit
improvement in productivity. It was absolutely astounding.”
As manufacturing executives in Asia analyze their current state of engineering and assembly operations and look toward
their future, they should ponder whether their companies can achieve the same benefits from MPM systems that their
counterparts have realized for years.
Robin Owens is the Asia managing director for Proplanner, an American engineering software company. Owens received
his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, master’s degree in manufacturing management and MBA from Penn State
University. Owens has been an industrial engineer, consultant and manufacturing manager in the United States and Asia.
Rob Timms is a senior software developer for Proplanner involved directly in new feature development as well as
managing part of the development team. Timms received his bachelor’s degree in management information systems from
Iowa State University. Timms has developed systems for process planning, time estimation, process analysis, assembly line
balancing, ergonomics, materials handling and supply chain management.
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