Manocher Djassemi Copyright (c) 2012 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/djassemi Recent documents in Manocher Djassemi en-us Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:30:19 PST 3600 A Computer-Based Approach to Material and Process Selection Using Sustainability and Ecological Criteria http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/22 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/22 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:08:24 PDT Decision on selecting a material or process for a particular product is a common task in product engineering and facility planning. Such decision may have a significant impact on entire product life cycle including raw material acquisition, product manufacture, use, disposal, and environment. Traditional factors for decision making are economical, functional and aesthetical properties of the product. However, the issues of sustainability and environmental impact of materials and manufacturing processes have gained a growing attention in recent decade by general population as well as academicians and industrial practitioners. The objective of this study is to explore a software tool for material selection with focus on sustainability and ecological issues. To achieve this objective, first a number of sustainability/ecological attributes of materials will be reviewed. Second, a methodology for evaluating materials sustainability using an emerging software tool known as Cambridge Engineering Selector will be introduced. Finally a case study will be presented to exemplify the sustainability/ecological aspects of material/process selection.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Conference Proceedings Computer-based approach to material and process selection http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/21 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/21 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:56:04 PST Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective of computer-aided material and process selection (MPS) software tools for product development purpose and present a practical approach for manufacturers and other decision makers involved in MPS.
Design/methodology/approach – A multi-criteria deductive approach for MPS is applied to a case study by taking into account the technical performances and environmental constraints. A resource-based cost modeling is also deployed to examine the implication of selected material and process on overall product cost.
Findings – The paper demonstrates the capabilities and shortcoming of existing computerized MPS software tools in assisting product managers and designers for handling the growing volume of material/process data.
Research limitations/implications – Applying computer-aided MPS approach to complex shape products with multiple features is not a straightforward task and requires further development in existing MPS software tools.
Practical implications – Computer-aided MPS systems can assist decision makers in solving many material/process selection problems by following a systematic process.
Originality/value – Given today's rapid technological changes, it is important for decision makers to understand the capabilities of computer-aided MPS software tools in handling a growing volume of data. Very limited research has been done to explore the capabilities and limitations of existing material/process selectors. It is the first in the literature that demonstrates the application of multi-criteria deductive approach in MPS using a software tool.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Articles The Use of RFID in Manufacturing and Packaging Technology Laboratories http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/20 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/20 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:55:15 PST Mandated use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on goods at pallet, case and item level continues to churn the Consumer Product Goods (CPG), logistics and retail industry. The statement “Internet of things” is slowly becoming true; with concerted efforts from standard setting bodies such as Electronic Product Code (EPC) global, International Standards Organization (ISO), Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies like Gillette, P&G and major retailers like Wal-Mart, TESCO, and the US DoD, to replace barcodes with RFID tags. RFID bridges many areas of manufacturing including inventory management, assembly operation, material handling, packaging and shipping by providing an accurate and real time access to materials and products information.

This paper reviews the RFID technology and its significance in engineering and technology education. The conceptual design of four packaging-based RFID projects are presented. The major costs involved in setting up an RFID system for educational applications are also discussed.

]]> Manocher Djassemi et al. Conference Proceedings A Computer-Based Economic Analysis for Manufacturing Process Selection http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/19 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/19 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:16:45 PDT An important part of financial planning in product development is considering whether the capital expenditures meet volume and cost goals. A good business plan should provide investors with the implications of process selection on the company's bottom line. It is estimated that there are least 1000 manufacturing processes and sub-processes. Considering the number of process choices and quantity of cost data, an economic analysis for process selection may pose a challenge for decision makers. This paper provides an insight to Ashby’s cost modeling method for generating an estimate of unit product cost. The cost model provides a broad indicator for competing processes for shaping a product at the early stage of product development. This model takes into account the cost of resources associated with manufacturing a component. Using the Cambridge Engineering Selector software the impact of various cost factors on process selection is investigated.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Conference Proceedings Merits of the Production Volume Based Similarity Coefficient in Machine Cell Formation http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/18 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/18 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:26:10 PDT In this paper, two types of similarity coefficients are compared: (1) the Jaccard's coefficient and (2) the production volume based coefficient. Each is used to form a cellular manufacturing system whose performance will be used as a measure of effectiveness of the similarity coefficient. The sum of intercellular and intracellular material handling costs is used as a criterion for performance evaluation.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles Analysis of Efficiency Measures for Block Diagonal Machine-Component Charts http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/17 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/17 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:26:09 PDT Group efficiency measures have been developed to evaluate machine-component charts for the formation of cellular manufacturing systems. In this paper the existing grouping efficiency measures will be evaluated by determining the relationship between the values of a grouping efficiency measure and the performance of the corresponding cellular manufacturing system.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles An Efficient CNC Programming Approach Based on Group Technology http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/16 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/16 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:26:08 PDT Many studies and reports support the significant impact of the application of group technology on various aspects of product design and manufacturing. The fact that group technology is the common solution to similar problems is the main source of such impact. In this paper, one of the less frequently utilized features of CNC technology known as parametric part programming is used to implement the common solution feature of group technology in processing a set of similar parts. Using three part families, the advantages of blending the concept of group technology and parametric programming for CNC machining operations are illustrated. The efficiency improvement due to the use of parametric programming in terms of number of setups and size of program is discussed.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Articles The Production Data-Based Similarity Coefficient Versus Jaccard's Similarity Coefficient http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/15 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/15 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:26:08 PDT This paper compares the performance of Jaccard's similarity coefficient with the production data-based similarity coefficient. A number of machine-component charts taken from the literature or randomly generated are used to form machine-component groups. Then, the sum of intercellular and intracellular material handling costs for each machine-component group is calculated and used as a basis for performance evaluation of the two similarity coefficients.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles A Dynamic Part Assignment Procedure in Machine Cell Formation http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/14 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/14 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:26:07 PDT A major contributing factor to the under utilization of machines in cellular manufacturing is the development of long queues in front of some machines in machine cells. This paper presents a procedure which identifies such machines and redistributes their loads to alternative machines whenever feasible.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles Improving Factory Layout under a Mixed Floor and Overhead Material Handling Condition http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/13 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/13 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:07 PDT Purpose – In spite of having a number of general-purpose algorithms for solving plant layout problems, facility planners may still face a challenging task to adjust these algorithms to handle special, but not uncommon, layout problems. The purpose of this study is to propose a new method for addressing the impact of overhead space utilization on a plant layout solution.

Design/methodology/approach – A new method for adjusting material flow under a mixed floor and overhead material handling condition is incorporated in an existing plant layout procedure. A case study involving the layout improvement in a lawn mower engine assembly facility is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Findings – The analysis of solutions for the case study shows that the layout generated by the proposed modified material flow approach is a more economical solution. The case also shows, when it is important to optimize the use of space, the overhead space should be considered as part of any methodology for designing a good layout.

Research limitations/implications – The proposed modified material flow approach can be applied to any facility where the use of overhead space for material handling is justifiable by limited floor space and/or by high cost of land. The proposed method can be applied to small to medium size problems with minimal computational effort. However, as the size of facility grows, the manual calculation becomes more time consuming and potentially erratic.

Originality/value – This paper should be useful to both researchers and practitioners who deal with overhead space utilization in designing facility layouts.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Articles A Simulation Analysis of Factors Influencing the Flexibility of Cellular Manufacturing http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/12 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/12 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:06 PDT The performance of cellular manufacturing (CM) systems in a variable demand and flexible workforce environment has been examined using simulation modelling. Discrepancies between academicians and practitioners' findings with respect to flexibility and uneven machine utilization in CM systems are discussed. The views of two parties were incorporated in simulation models to rectify the existing discrepancies. While the results of this study confirm the previous findings of academicians regarding the deterioration of the performance of CM in a variable product mix situation, it appears that those results may be significantly influenced by considering a flexible workforce. The simulation results show that the practice of using flexible crossed-trained operators can improve the flexibility of CM in dealing with an unstable demand and can reduce load imbalance inherent in machine dedication in manufacturing cells.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Articles Sensitivity Analysis in Cellular Manufacturing System in the Case of Product Mix Variation http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/11 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/11 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:06 PDT In this paper, performance measures such as mean flow time and work-in-process inventories will be used to determine the changes in the performance of a cellular manufacturing system due to product mix variations.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles The Effect of Reliability Consideration on the Application of Quality Index http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/10 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/10 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:05 PDT Quality index (QI) has been proposed as a screening mechanism for machine-part matrices in the development of cellular manufacturing systems. In this paper the effect of reliability consideration on the application of QI and the relative sensitivity of job shop and cellular manufacturing systems to reliability changes are evaluated by simulation modeling. Performance measures such as mean flow time and work-in-process inventories are used in the comparative study of job shop and cellular manufacturing.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles Improving the Performance of Cellular Manufacturing by a Dynamic Part Assignment Approach http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/9 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/9 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:05 PDT In this paper, a simple dynamic part assignment (DPA) procedure is introduced and its effects on the performance of cellular manufacturing systems is evaluated. In this procedure rerouting of parts among machine cells is allowed for better machine utilization. Three data sets are used to compare the performance of manufacturing systems under job shop and cellular manufacturing when DPA is employed. The results of simulation runs indicate that the proposed DPA method improves the performance of cellular manufacturing significantly by reducing the congestion in machine cells with long waiting lines.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles Emergence of Multitasking Machining Systems: Applications and Best Selection Practices http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/6 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/6 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:03 PDT Purpose – Multitasking machining (MTM) systems have become increasingly sophisticated and expensive capital equipment. The lack of practical guidelines for selection of these machines can lead to significant undesirable machine attributes, application mismatch, and longer return on investment. The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight to numerous features and configurations of MTM systems and to present several application-based selection guidelines.

Design/methodology/approach – A taxonomy of MTM systems is developed based on the number of axes of motions, tooling and spindle systems. Practical guidelines for general and advance features are presented with special regard to multi-axis and multi-spindle features.

Findings – MTM systems are capable of meeting several production goals such as cycle time reduction, minimizing non-value added times and concurrent processing of multiple parts. However, they possess inherent programming challenges due to their complex configuration and simultaneous machining functions.

Research limitations/implications – The diversity of system configurations demand a decision support system, such as a rule-based expert system to capture the many variations of MTM systems.

Originality/value – This paper should be useful to decision makers in industry or academia who are involved in selection of MTM systems.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Articles A Parametric Programming Technique for Efficient CNC Machining Operations http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/7 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/7 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:03 PDT In this paper the application of parametric programming to CNC machining is discussed. As one of the less frequently utilized features of CNC machines, parametric programming has the potential to increase the efficiency of CNC operations. This feature is particularly beneficial to companies with group technology manufacturing where parts with similar design or operational requirements are processed within a machine cell. Using two case studies, the capabilities of parametric programming for CNC machines are illustrated.

]]> Manocher Djassemi Articles Determination of a Flexibility Range for Cellular Manufacturing Systems under Product Mix Variations http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/5 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/5 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:02 PDT One of the underlying assumptions in cellular manufacturing is that product mix is relatively stable over time. In this paper, a procedure for the sensitivity analysis of the performance of a cellular manufacturing system with respect to changes in the product mix is presented and a flexibility range representing the capability of the system in dealing with these changes is determined using simulation modelling. The simulation results in this study show that as the changes in the product mix increase the superiority of the performance of the cellular manufacturing system to the corresponding job shop system diminishes.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles The Threshold Value of a Quality Index for Formation of Cellular Manufacturing Systems http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/4 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/4 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:02 PDT The superiority of cellular manufacturing to job shop manufacturing has been questioned by a number of simulation studies. The initial structure of the machine-part matrix seems to play an important role in the failure of cellular manufacturing systems in these studies. In this paper a grouping measure called 'quality index - QI' will be used to evaluate the relationship between the quality of a machine-part matrix and the performance of the corresponding cellular manufacturing system. A simulation study will be conducted to demonstrate how the procedure can be used to determine the threshold value for QI beyond which the cellular manufacturing system outperforms the corresponding job shop manufacturing system.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles A Simulation Study of Quality Index in Machine-Component Grouping http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/3 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/3 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:01 PDT Simulation modeling is employed to determine the effectiveness of quality index in screening machine-part matrices for the development of cellular manufacturing systems.

]]> Hamid Seifoddini et al. Articles The Paperless Factory: A Review of Issues and Technologies http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/1 http://works.bepress.com/djassemi/1 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:00 PDT paper-based data management can be a bottleneck, slowing factory-wide information transfer. This study explores the evolution of paperless communication in a factory environment and reviews some of the key technologies that contribute to the implementation of a paperless system including digital communication, the virtual factory, computer-integrated manufacturing, and web-centric information flow. The challenges facing users of a paperless information system are also discussed.

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