CHAPTER

Process Selection and

Methods
TYPES OF PROCESS
Conversion
processes :
converts input
into value added
outputs

E.g. : iron ore is

converted into
steel
 •Fabrication Processes :
change input into a
specific form e.g. sheet
metal is turned into the
car door etc

Assembly processes :
putting things
together . E.g. fixing
a pilfer cap on a liquid
medicine bottle or
fixing door to body of
car .
 EFFICIENCY
Any production method relies on efficiency – this can be
viewed in different ways:
Productivity – a measurement of output per unit of the
factor used (labour, capital or land)
Total Output
Productivity = -------------------
Units of Factor
Technical Efficiency – output produced using the fewest
possible inputs
Productive Efficiency – output produced at the lowest
possible cost
PRODUCTION METHODS

Agriculture tends
to be very land
intensive –
efficiency could
be measured in
terms of output
per acre/hectare
PRODUCTION METHODS
As technology and
analysis of
production
methodology has
improved, methods
have changed
dramatically –
what used to be
labour intensive
production
methods are now
capital intensive
PRODUCTION METHODS
The choice of
production
method and the
factor inputs
depends on
such things as:

•the nature of
the product

• factor costs

•the scale of
production
 PRODUCTION DECISIONS
Market size and
Segment

Complexity of design
Which method? Type of Product

Factor Costs –
Land, Labour and
Capital
 TYPES OF OPERATIONS

Unit or Batch Mass/ Continuous

Project/
Job Shop Assembly

INCREASED VOLUME
 PROCESS DESIGN

Project Processes (Fixed Position)

Intermittent Flow Processes (Batch Shops)

Continuous Flow Processes (Flow Shops)

Processing Industries (Continuous)

JOB SHOP (FIXED POSITION)

People and material move

Have limited duration

Small scale

Examples

Housing

Ship building

Dam

Appliance Repair
INTERMITTENT FLOW PROCESSES
(BATCH SHOPS)

No pattern exists between process of
different products

Appropriate to service organizations

Moderate volume

Example:

Machine Shops

Auto Repair Shops

Commercial Bakery

Classroom Lecture
CONTINUOUS FLOW PROCESSES
(FLOW SHOPS)

Sequences are the same (Standard Routes)

High volumes of standardized goods or services

Examples:

Assembly Lines

Car Wash
PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
(CONTINUOUS FLOW)

One primary input (gas, wheat, etc) is converted
to multiple outputs

Very high volumes of non-discrete goods

Example:

Petroleum

Chemicals

Food Industries
PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics Project Intermittent Continuous

PRODUCT
Continuous or
Order Type Single Unit Batch large batch
Flow of Product None Jumbled Sequence
Product Variety Very High High Low
Market type Unique Custom Mass
Volume Single Unit Medium High
 PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics Project Intermittent Continuous

CAPITAL
Inventory Medium High Low
General General Special
Equipment Purpose Purpose Purpose
LABOR
Skills High High Low
Task Type Non-routine Non-routine Repetitive
 PROCESS CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics Project Intermittent Continuous

CONTROL
Production Difficult Difficult Easy
Quality Difficult Difficult Easy
Inventory Difficult Difficult Easy
General General Special
EQUIPMENT Purpose Purpose Purpose
 AUTOMATION

Automation: Machinery that has sensing and control

devices that enables it to operate

Fixed automation

Programmable automation
AUTOMATION

• Computer-aided design and

manufacturing systems (CAD/CAM)
• Numerically controlled (NC) machines
• Robot
• Manufacturing cell
• Flexible manufacturing systems(FMS)
• Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)
FUNCTIONAL AREAS BEING
LINKED TO MANAGE THE FLOW OF
INFORMATION

Design

Handling of Materials

Storage and Retrieval of Information

Control of Machine Tools

DESIGN

CAD

No longer limited to the top, side and front views

Can observe the rotation of the part about any axis on the
screen

Generally, improves productivity in the drafting room by a
factor of 3 or more

At GM, the redesign of a single auto model requires 14 months

instead of 24 months

The time needed to design custom values reduced from six

months to one
HANDLING OF MATERIALS

Data processing technology can be applied to the
control of 3 general kids of machines in the
factory:

Machines that store, retrieve, or transport materials

Machines that process the materials

Robots
HANDLING OF MATERIALS

Automatic storage and retrieval systems transfer
pallets of material into or out of storage rack up
to 100 feet high

Mini Loaders

Hold drawers of small parts

Automatic Warehouse

Automatic shuttle takes the place of the fork-lift truck and
its human operations
STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
OF INFORMATION

GT

The formation of part families based on design
or manufacturing similarities (or both)

Classification of parts speed up the design of
similar parts in the company

Only 20% of the parts actually need new
design. 40% could be built from an existing
design and the other 40% could be created by
modifying an existing design.

Automatic guided vehicle
CONTROL OF MACHINE TOOLS

NC

Machine tools run by programs

DNC

Direct numerically controlled machine tools

Several computerized, NC machine tools are linked
by a hierarchy of computers
CONTROL OF MACHINE TOOLS

FMS

Flexible Manufacturing System

It consists of an integrated collection of:

Automated Production Processes

NC

Robots

A material transport system

An automated transfer line

Robots