Submitted in partial fulfilment of the academic requirements for the Degree of Doctoral of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005. / Increased global competition is challenging manufacturing industries to bring competitively priced, well-designed and well-manufactured products into the marketplace as quickly as possible. Manufacturing companies are responding to these challenges in their industry by extending current internet trends to create virtual marketplaces where factories, suppliers, and customers are part of the solution. Pressing demands to reduce lead-time by providing a suitable manufacturing price for a product has become an important step in the current competition age. This thesis presents an approach for providing a quotation for a product via the web, automatically and autonomously. / D

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

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

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING / by Peter Thompson. / B.S.

published_or_final_version / Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Technikon, 2001. / Management information systems can be defined as information systems using formalised procedures to provide managers at all levels, in all functions, with appropriate information from all relevant sources, to enable them to make timely and effective decisions for which they are responsible. There is, and continues to be, an awareness in society that accurate and timely information is a vital resource of any organisation, and that an effective management information system is a means of providing the needed information. Many top management people are finding that information is a source of competitive power. It gives them the ability to out-manoeuvre their rivals at critical times, especially when introducing new products. Effective management information systems allow the decisionmaker (i.e .. the ll;)Ul:lger) to combine his or her subjective experience with computerised objective output to produce meaningful information for decision making (Thierauf, 1984:22). Managers must also learn how to state their wishes with precision. Management information systems (MIS) produce only what is asked, which may not be at all what is required. For effective use of information technology, managers must be able to define their information requirements as well as understand computer capabilities and limitations (Hussain and Hussain, 1995:8). The primary objective of this research was to establish the impact of utilising management information systcn»: (MIS) and applying information technology on the success of manufacturing industries. The other aim of the study was to investigate the extent of utilising management information systems and applying information technology in these industries. The study focused on medium- and large-scale chemical manufacturing companies in the Cape Metropole area that have operated for at least the past five years.

The primary aim of this dissertation is to provide a platform and format-neutral exchange mechanism for Layered Manufacturing (LM) and Telemanufacturing. The current exchange standard is the Stereolithography (STL) file format. The format is notoriously prone to error and frequently causes problems during the process-planning stage. The format exclusively uses a triangular boundary representation as a mathematical model and therefore lacks accuracy for models that exhibit curved features [Van00]. The goal of this thesis is therefore two-fold. Firstly, a short-term solution needs to be implemented as a stopgap measure, while a long-term solution is realised. The long-term solution will hopefully fill the communication gap caused by the STL format. A short-term solution needs to extend the capabilities of the STL format. This will compensate for the discrepancies and will allow the STL format to keep up with the requirements of the industry, while a more permanent solution is developed. In this thesis, a stopgap measure in the form of STL-Extended is proposed. STL-Extended or STL-E is a technique that redefines the semantic properties of redundant information in the existing STL file. This allows additional information to be embedded within a STL file and facilitates the storage of models more accurately. The main aim of STL-E is to remain backwards compatible with legacy hardware and software. Although this does not address the flaws that the format exhibits, it provides the most transparent integration possible. A long-term solution is proposed in the form of the Data Exchange Framework for Layered Manufacturing (DEF4LM or just DEF). This is not a new LM file format, but a platform that would allow any format that is used by the industry to potentially become an exchange standard between designer and bureau. In essence, the platform redefines the mathematical model (representation technique) as the common denominator between abstractions, as opposed to the computer model (file format). DEF4LM constitutes a four-layer architecture, which includes the Data Layer, Implementation Layer, System Layer and the Application Layer. The Data Layer represents the actual computer model being used and serves as the carrier medium for the model. The Implementation Layer consists of a descriptor and a properties file. These two elements are used to describe the syntax and the semantics of a specific file format. The various data structures are extracted and passed to the System Layer, which in turn, passes the extracted data structures to the Application Layer. The Application Layer includes the LM process-planning system, as well as the hardware and controlling software. A complementary study also conducted as part of this thesis, investigates the feasibility of a genetic algorithm to generate tool-paths for extrusion-based LM technology. The technique evolves unique tool-paths and is guided by a fitness function that includes elements that optimise for surface quality and material deposition. / Prof. E.M. Ehlers

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.