by Leung Wing-keung, Joseph, Mok Yan-hung, Albert. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 92-93.

Manufacturing techniques are based on the principles of Flexible Manufacturing and Dedicated Manufacturing for mass production. Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMS) is a manufacturing system that can provide for Agile Manufacturing (AM). This has lead to research on the concept, design and equipment implementation for RMS. RMS requires three key capabilities: rapid changeover between products, rapid introduction to new products and unattended operation. The relationship between these manufacturing techniques has been investigated. Research has been focused on the research and design of a Reconfigurable Modular Machine (RMM) for RMS. The research has addressed the design of subsystems for RMM by using the generic modular mechatronics control. This approach included modular machine controller hardware, software, mechanical design and generic "plug-and-play" capability, These designs of subsystems allowed for rapid reconfiguration of RMS that increased system efficiency and significantly minimized manufacturing change over downtime. / Manufacturing techniques are based on the principles of Flexible Manufacturing and / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

by Chiu, Yu-Wai, Anthony, Chiang, Lily. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 69-71.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Some concepts of manufacturing on their own playa decisive role in manufacturing like Integration, Intelligence and Remote Monitoring. They have been tried and tested with great success in various applications in manufacturing. However, very little has been written on the synergy that is created when all three is deployed in one system. It is the aim of this work to survey the attributes of each of these key concepts, to compare them on the grounds of applicability and to study the effects when combined into one system. Final conclusions are made after the hypotheses have been validated with the aid of an experimental model. The first objective of this work is to show how many techniques such as expert systems, fuzzy logic, neural networks and genetic algorithms are used to enable systems to perform intelligently. It is accepted that the competitiveness, growth and profitability of a company in future may depend on the level of its system intelligence. This is so because an intelligent system is able to act appropriately under rapidly changing conditions of customer customisation and demands on quicker throughputs. A further objective of this work is to show how integration adds the element of synergy to a system. This is done by showing several ways of achieving integration by non-technological means like departmental consolidation, plant consolidation, product rationalisation, more flexible working practices, etc. There are as many options for integration by technical means as well, ranging from group technology to process or transfer lines, and from flexible automation such as robots through to hard automation using special-purpose machinery and transfer lines. The third objective is to show how remote monitoring enhances the capabilities of manufacturing systems by synergising with the other two key concepts. With the technology of intelligent manufacturing and integration, larger and more complex manufacturing systems are becoming a reality. However, the danger exists that the shop floor machine tools remain isolated islands of automation. Plant machinery needs to be networked into the enterprise-wide information system. The ability to monitor a variety of process parameters and alert plant staff to changing conditions can greatly reduce downtime. This lack of connectivity therefore represents a huge constraint as far as productivity is concerned. For this reason, there is a great interest to study remote monitoring, analysis and diagnostic systems for application in modem manufacturing. The major contribution of this work is to study the synergy that is created by combining the three key concepts into one system and to validate the findings with the aid of the experimental model. The meaning of validation is to make legally valid; to grant official sanction to; to confirm the validity of something or to declare something as true. To validate is to support or corroborate a theory on a sound or authoritative basis by experiments designed to show a hypothesis as being true. The components of the validation model are a neural network, a simulator, a decision evaluator or critic, and a teacher. The neural network is used to make the decisions. Its inputs are the system parameters and its outputs are a vector of values between 0 and 1, the highest value indicates the decision being made (winner takes all). The simulator executes the decision it obtains from the network and thus changes the state of the system. The evaluator looks at how the system changed due to the decision made by the network and decides whether it was a good or a bad decision. The teacher then adjusts the output of the network accordingly and trains the network with the adjusted outputs. The results of the validation experiments show that intelligence is used to train the model, integration is achieved by combining the elements of the model with the mobile robot and remote monitoring is done by the model to analyse the condition of the system and to react accordingly. The main objective of this work is clearly met in that synergy was shown to be created by the three key concepts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Aspekte soos Integrasie, Intelligensie en Afstandsmonitering speel 'n deurslaggewende rol in vervaardiging en is al op hulle eie met groot sukses in vele toepassings gebruik. Daar is egter nog nie veel aangeteken oor die sinergie wat ontstaan wanneer hulle tesame in een stelsel gebruik word nie. Dit is die doel van hierdie werk om die kenmerke van elk van hierdie sleutel aspekte na te vors, dit op grond van toepaslikheid met mekaar te vergelyk en die uitwerking te bestudeer wanneer hulle in een stelsel saamgevoeg word. Nadat die hipoteses met behulp van 'n eksperimentele model gevalideer is, word finale gevolgtrekkings gemaak. Die eerste doelwit van hierdie werk is om aan te toon dat verskeie tegnieke soos genetiese algoritmes en neurale netwerke gebruik word om stelsels meer kundig te laat optree. Dit word aanvaar dat die toekomstige mededingendheid en groei van ondernemings mag afhang van die stelsel intelligentheidsvlak. Dit is omdat intelligente stelsels gepas kan optree onder snel-veranderende omstandighede. 'n Verdere doelwit is om aan te toon hoe integrasie sinergie kan toevoeg tot 'n stelsel. Dit word gedoen deur verskeie metodes te bespreek van hoe om integrasie op 'n nie-tegniese vlak te bewerkstellig. Die tegniese metodes van integrasie word ook bespreek en sluit tegnieke soos groeptegnologie, aanpasbare outomatisasie en robotika in. Die derde doelwit is om aan te toon hoe afstandsmonitering as sleutel aspek die ander twee sleutel aspekte kan versterk. Die tegnologië van intelligente vervaardiging en integrasie maak die skepping van groter en meer kompleks vervaardigingstelsels nou moontlik. Die gevaar bestaan egter dat hierdie masjiene slegs eilande van outomatisasie sal bly indien hulle nie met behulp van netwerke in die onderneming se inligtingstelselopgeneem word nie. Die vermoë om prosesveranderinge te monitor kan lei tot verminderde staantyd van masjiene en kan dus produktiwiteit verhoog. Om hierdie redes is die toepassing van afstandsmonitering en -diagnosering belangrik vir toepassing in vervaardiging. Die belangrikste bydrae van hierdie werk is die studie van die sinergie wat ontstaan wanneer die drie sleutel aspekte in een stelsel gekombineer word en om die bevindinge te valideer met behulp van 'n eksperimentele model. Om te valideer beteken om iets geldig te verklaar of om die geldigheid van iets te bevestig. Dit beteken verder om 'n teorie te ondersteun of te staaf op 'n grondige en deskundige basis met behulp van eksperimente. Die validasie model bestaan uit 'n neurale netwerk, 'n simulator, 'n besluitevalueerder of beoordelaar, en 'n onderwyser (terugvoerder). Die neurale netwerk neem die besluite met die stelselparameters as inset en die uitset 'n vektor met waardes tussen 0 en 1. Die simulator voer die besluit uit en verander so die toestand van die stelsel. Die evalueerder bepaal hoe die stelsel verander het as gevolg van die besluit en bepaalook of dit 'n goeie of slegte besluit was. Die onderwyser verstel dan die uitset van die netwerk dienooreenkomstig en lei die netwerk op met die verstelde uitsette. Die resultate van die validasie eksperiment toon aan dat intelligensie gebruik word om die modelop te lei, integrasie behaal word deur die elemente van die model te kombineer met die mobiele robot en afstandsmonitering toegepas word deur die toestand van die stelsel te monitor en te analiseer. Die hoofdoelwit van hierdie werk word dus duidelik behaal deur die beskrywing van die sinergie wat ontstaan deur die kombinasie van die drie sleutel aspekte.

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 2016 / This research report addresses the question: Is BRM (Benefits Realisation Management) a valid method for MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) development and implementation? While the technical aspect of implementing MES is standardised and well documented, a clear approach to tackling the activity on a company specific level is missing. Literature shows that there is ambiguity in where ownership should lie and further details common organisational problems that companies experience. Limited guidance is given to how these problems can be tackled. An evaluative case study is conducted at the WMMEA (WEIR Minerals Middle East and Africa) machine shop to determine whether BRM methodology is able to improve the MES system and its implementation by adding a previously unexplored structure to the undertaking. The research method focuses on two aspects of the case. The initiative, where the researcher aims to identify whether BRM methodology is able to specify a complete set of requirements for MES implementation. The outcomes, where the researcher quantifies the benefits gained from the implementation. This report describes an adapted BRM methodology and the outcomes of its application. These outcomes consist of the issues faced by the company, the enablers developed to overcome these issues, and the benefits derived from MES. The BRM methodology is shown to be valid in the case of WMMEA by the confirmed realisation of predicted benefits. The business objectives achieved are an improved on-time delivery to customers and an increased part value. / MT2017

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. / This dissertation shows that the engineering information system (EIS) is the primary integration mechanism in computer integrated manufacturing. The EIS has been defined by creating a functional as well as an information model. These models are the initial steps in the process of implementing an EIS by means of a database management system. The modelling of the EIS is defined within a work brealcdown structure for CIM acquisition which is applicable to any CIM project. The impact of the scope CIM of and the changes this requires are also defined. It is also shown that for an enterprise involved in the manufacture of complex systems it is more beneficial to introduce CIM in those areas outside the area of factory automation, The complexity of the EIS information model is such that it has not been possible to construct it manually. Automated tools should be used to create the EIS information model. / Andrew Chakane 2018

A project report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in Partial fulfilment of the requirements for the. degree of Master of Science in Engineering, Johannesburg. 1991 / In order to analyse and optimize the design and Operation of Advanced Manufacturing Systems (AMS) various simulation techniques are currently in use. However, these methods are' generally inflexible and are used off-line in this project report, a modular, modelling approach is adopted to investigate the requirements of shop floor device models which operate in real-time. The models when connected together, simulate the Operation of the AMS. A suitable technique for the development of these models is proposed. A simulation architecture to support the models is discussed. It is intended that the models are connected on-line to the AMS control system via a local Area Network (LAN). [Advantages and - applications of this approach to AMS simulation are discussed. / MT2017