Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2003-09-30
Paladini, Albert W. (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S105000, C702S182000, C705S007380
Reexamination Certificate
active
06629004
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of manufacturing process transition evaluation and more particularly to a method and apparatus for automatically evaluating a transition from a batch manufacturing technique to a lean manufacturing technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
Historically, the traditional approach to manufacturing process management involved “batch” production. As a consequence of Henry Ford's popularization of mass production techniques during the early twentieth century, batch production techniques have permeated the production world. In one such batch technique, the Push System, upstream assembly line operations can be scheduled according to theoretical downstream assembly line results based on a plan which may not be current. In consequence, the Push System places more parts onto the production floor than is required for production and can lead to a large volume of work-in-process, excessive inventories, significant overhead for tracking parts, large queue areas, and higher costs.
In contrast, the Pull System is a contemporary manufacturing planning system based on communication of actual real-time needs from downstream operations including, ultimately, final assembly or the equivalent. More particularly, the Pull System, a real-time production technique, places material onto the production floor based on the rate of customer demand. The key to the Pull System is to smooth and balance material flows by means of controlled inventories. The Pull System's philosophy focuses upon moving partially-assembled parts throughout the production floor before issuing new parts for a subsequent production run.
Like the Pull System, the Takt System is a real-time production technique which places material onto the production floor based on the rate of customer demand. “Takt” is a German term for rhythm. Specifically, the Takt System centers about the concept of “takt time”, the allowable time to produce one product at the rate customers are demanding it. Takt time is not synonymous with cycle time, which is the normal time to complete an operation on a product. Rather, in the Takt System, a common frequency of production is assumed over the whole process.
More recently, one innovative approach has incorporated real time techniques such as the Pull System and Takt System. “Lean” manufacturing has been referred to as the most effective manufacturing system to date. Lean manufacturing has proven critical to increased productivity, inventory reduction, employee involvement and bottom line profits. Specifically, lean manufacturing refers to the Toyota® Production System® and is associated with the word “lean” because “lean” implies doing more with less: less inventory, less waste, less effort to produce more (or less personnel per process), quick changeover and setup time, one-piece flow of the supply chain, and less shop floor space needed. Mass producers who have implemented a lean manufacturing system enjoy a tremendous advantage over their competitors employing mass production manufacturing techniques because lean production is a system operating in “real time.”
Lean manufacturing is, in it's most basic form, the systematic elimination of waste, using the concepts of flow and pull in a production system. The touted benefits of lean production systems include 50% lower production costs, 50% less personnel, 50% less time to field new products, higher quality, higher profitability, and higher system flexibility. Just as mass production is recognized as the production system of the 20th century, lean production is viewed as the production system of the 21st century.
Still, transition from traditional to lean manufacturing approaches is a difficult process and requires major capital investment of a manufacturing company. Understanding the impact of changing from a traditional Push System to lean manufacturing incorporating a Pull System or Takt System can be difficult. Typically, specialists having expertise in manufacturing production systems and computer simulation are required to investigate the current state, project the future advanced manufacturing “lean” state, and to predict the performance of that lean setup.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method for automatically evaluating a manufacturing technique in accordance with the inventive arrangement satisfies the long-felt need of the prior art by automatically generating evaluation information for choosing whether to transition from a batch manufacturing technique to a lean manufacturing technique. Thus, the inventive arrangements provide a method and apparatus for automatically evaluating a transition from a batch manufacturing technique to a lean manufacturing technique. The inventive arrangements have advantages over all manufacturing technique evaluation methods, and provides a novel and nonobvious automated process for evaluating the transition from traditional batch manufacturing to technically advanced lean manufacturing.
A method for automatically evaluating a manufacturing technique comprises the steps of: receiving from a user manufacturing process step parameters characterizing a manufacturing process; accepting from the user a selection for an analysis of a particular lean manufacturing technique; automatically compiling process step data for each process step in the manufacturing process; automatically calculating process metrics from a summation of the compiled process step data for each process step; and, presenting the automatically calculated process metrics to the user.
Specifically, the accepting step can comprise the step of accepting from the user a selection for an analysis of a particular manufacturing technique selected from the group consisting of a Pull System and a Takt System. Moreover, the automatic compiling step can comprise the steps of: generating a Takt Time for the manufacturing process; determining an optimal number of machines for each process step; computing process step utilization for each process step; estimating process step queue time consistent with the selected manufacturing technique; and, calculating additional process step characterization data including process step span time, process step crew hours, process step machine cost and process step manpower cost.
The automatic calculating step can sum the data automatically compiled in the automatically compilation step, each summation forming the process metrics. More particularly, the automatic calculating step can comprise the steps of: summing each process step queue time estimated for each process step, the summation forming a process queue time; summing each process step span time calculated for each process step, the summation forming a process span time; summing each process step machine cost calculated for each process step, the summation forming a process machine cost; and, summing each process step manpower cost calculated for each process step, the summation forming a process manpower cost.
Finally, the presenting step comprises the step of arranging the automatically calculated process metrics in tabular format. In addition, the presenting step further comprises displaying in a graphical user interface the automatically calculated process metrics arranged in tabular format.
A method for evaluating a transition from a batch manufacturing technique to a lean manufacturing technique can comprise the steps of: collecting manufacturing process step characterization parameters; selecting a lean manufacturing technique for analysis; communicating the selected lean manufacturing technique and the manufacturing process step characterization parameters to an automatic manufacturing technique evaluation engine having a mathematical model for generating manufacturing technique evaluation data; and, using the lean manufacturing technique evaluation data to determine whether to transition from an existing manufacturing technique to the selected lean manufacturing technique.
In particular, the selecting step comprises the step of selecting a lean manufacturing technique
Ivezic Nenad
Potok Thomas E.
Akerman & Senterfitt
Paladini Albert W.
Rodriguez Paul
Ut-Battelle LLC
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