No description available.

In today’s fierce competitive global markets, customers are demanding adjustable lot sizes, shorter lead times, higher quality and flexibility; in short, they want it all. In order to stay competitive in the market, companies need to attain both customer satisfaction and cost reduction in production operations. Material Handling Systems (MHS) is the place to accomplish this goal, since they have a direct impact on production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design an in-house MHS that could be efficient for the production it serves. With this intention, a case-study has been conducted in Bosch Rexroth Japan. During the study, the information gathered through various sources; interviews, observations and measurements. Further, the gathered data is evaluated according to main pillars of the theoretical framework, which includes design principles and physical elements, information and software, human and management. By analyzing the findings from literature review and empirical study, first problems and challenges related to MHSs are identified. Thereafter, possible features that the system should posses are elicited and a design is built out of the selected features. To conclude, the results show that the success is not solely depending on system’s physical attributes; on the contrary, it is more related to rapid and accurate information sharing within the system. Another vital element is the interaction between system and the people, who are utilizing and operating the system. In general terms, the research took MHS design problems from one-dimensional equipment selection processes and enriches them by adding information sharing, human and management angles to design steps.

Im Rahmen des Forschungsvorhabens wurde das Wirken von Autokorrelation auf das Verhalten von Materialflusssystemen anhand von Realdaten analysiert. Hintergrund waren theoretische Untersuchungen, die einen deutlichen Einfluss von abhängigen Ereignissen auf die Leistung von Materialflusssystemen erkennen lassen. Mit Hilfe der Projektpartner konnte eine große Menge von Echtdaten zusammengetragen werden. Insgesamt wurden 52 Datensätze auf zeitliche Abhängigkeiten der Ereignisse untersucht. Dabei bestätigte sich die Vermutung, dass Autokorrelation durch z. B. Batchbildung oder Prioritätsregeln allgegenwärtig in Erscheinung tritt. In ca. 95 % aller Datensätze konnte signifikant Autokorrelation nachgewiesen werden. Im Rahmen der Untersuchung konnten eine Reihe unterschiedlicher Korrelationsstrukturen nachgewiesen werden. Diese unterschieden sich sowohl in der Stärke, in der Ausprägung (positiv oder negativ) als auch im Abklingverhalten. Der größte Einfluss auf das Systemverhalten geht von der Stärke und der Ausprägung der Autokorrelationskoefizienten aus. Im Rahmen des Projektes konnten unterschiedliche Verfahren zur Erzeugung autokorrelierter Ereignisse identifiziert und bewertet werden. Beispielhaft zu erwähnen ist die TES-Methode, der Minification- bzw. Maxification-Ansatz oder spezielle Markov-Ketten. Als am besten geeignet hat sich der sog. ARTA-Ansatz herausgestellt. Der ARTA-Ansatz wurde in einer Java-basierenden Software-Bibliothek namens „JARTA“ umgesetzt. Diese ist frei verfügbar sowie variabel und einfach einsetzbar. Durch das Forschungsvorhaben wurde das Bewusstsein um das Auftreten und Wirken von Autokorrelation in logistischen Systemen geschärft. Projektpartner bestätigen, dass durch gezielte Untersuchung auf Abhängigkeiten Fehler bei der Systementwicklung und beim Systembetrieb verringert werden konnten.

When developing a material handling system (MHS) it is crucial to master the various aspects for each developing step to increase the efficiency of the MHS. This Master’s thesis is aimed to identify conceptual solutions of a MHS and analyse the advantages and challenges for each of the developed concepts. Automation and implementation into a factory setting has taken into great consideration for this study. Two research questions (RQ) and three goals were formulated: RQ1: Which conceptual solutions of a material handling system for a high-pressure processing machine can be developed? RQ2: What are the challenges and advantages of each designed concept in terms of automation and implementation? Goal1: Develop three conceptual solutions of a material handling system. Goal2: Identify target specifications and determine their margin and ideal values for evaluation of the three conceptual solutions. Goal3: Analyse each developed material handling system and determine which concept is best out of the three in relation to the target specifications Automation has proven to be a key cause for achieving an effective MHS on the market and the two main reasons for this are, one: the elimination of ongoing labour cost and second; an increase of the overall safety factor for the system. The thesis, using the design research methodology (DRM) type two, consisting of an in-depth literature review and case study that contributed to evaluation and comparison of developed concepts. The literature review contributed to identifying the necessary steps of the structure of the MHS and required tools for the development phase. For the case study, the projects developing phase were taken from Ulrich, Eppinger and Yang (2020) ´s developing method. Identified tools and knowledge from the literature was used throughout the entire case study such as multi criteria decision making (MCDM), computer aided design (CAD), material flow patterns, automation and high-pressure processing (HPP). The findings of the case study showed that there are multiple concepts that can be developed. However, fully automated MHS are preferred when analysing the advantages and challenges for each fully developed MHS concept. The study resulted in three MHS concepts. Two fully automated ones and one semi-automated. The two fully automated MHS concepts showed more promising results than the semi-automated one. This was based on the MCDM-matrix which evaluated every MHS concept in relation to multiple criteria and failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) which investigated safety factors such as human safety and risk of MHS failure. Calculations such as capital cost and operational cost was also considered when analysing the differences between the MHS concepts. A fully automated MHS is not necessarily more costly in capital investment compared to semi-automated systems for the same HPP machine. Human labourers are, in semi-automated systems however, more precise in packaging operations, but also raises the operational costs substantially.

In today’s world, simulation and optimization are playing a vital role in reducing the time, cost and preserving resources. In manufacturing industries, there are ample amount of problems that go on with the expansion of the industry. In such cases, to tackle these problems simulation can be helpful to check whether any change in the current situation makes any effect on the current efficiency of the overall plant. In the presented case study, a solution to the problem of internal and external logistics has been designed by using simulation and optimization to improve part of a material flow of an organization. Basically, the organization whose major production is established in the south of Sweden deals with the manufacturing and assembly of equipment. Before the dispatch, all of them go to the painting section which is the expansion of the present shop floor. However, the design and analysis of the material handling system to feed the new painting line which is going to be established by the organization is the aim of this case study. While achieving this aim the literature regarding the discrete event simulation, Lean and Simulation-Based optimization related to the material handling system has been done. Furthermore, the appropriate material handling systems along with the different scenarios were suggested to reduce the cost and the lead times between the production line and the new painting line. To support this process a methodology combining simulation, optimization and lean production has been implemented under the framework of the design and creation research strategy. In the Kaizen workshop organized at a company with managers and stakeholders, the designed scenarios were presented and after some discussion one of them was chosen and the selected scenario was designed and optimized. Moreover, the Simulation-Based multi-objective optimization has been helpful for the optimization of the designed model proposed as a final solution.

Im Rahmen des Forschungsvorhabens wurde das Wirken von Autokorrelation auf das Verhalten von Materialflusssystemen anhand von Realdaten analysiert. Hintergrund waren theoretische Untersuchungen, die einen deutlichen Einfluss von abhängigen Ereignissen auf die Leistung von Materialflusssystemen erkennen lassen. Mit Hilfe der Projektpartner konnte eine große Menge von Echtdaten zusammengetragen werden. Insgesamt wurden 52 Datensätze auf zeitliche Abhängigkeiten der Ereignisse untersucht. Dabei bestätigte sich die Vermutung, dass Autokorrelation durch z. B. Batchbildung oder Prioritätsregeln allgegenwärtig in Erscheinung tritt. In ca. 95 % aller Datensätze konnte signifikant Autokorrelation nachgewiesen werden. Im Rahmen der Untersuchung konnten eine Reihe unterschiedlicher Korrelationsstrukturen nachgewiesen werden. Diese unterschieden sich sowohl in der Stärke, in der Ausprägung (positiv oder negativ) als auch im Abklingverhalten. Der größte Einfluss auf das Systemverhalten geht von der Stärke und der Ausprägung der Autokorrelationskoefizienten aus. Im Rahmen des Projektes konnten unterschiedliche Verfahren zur Erzeugung autokorrelierter Ereignisse identifiziert und bewertet werden. Beispielhaft zu erwähnen ist die TES-Methode, der Minification- bzw. Maxification-Ansatz oder spezielle Markov-Ketten. Als am besten geeignet hat sich der sog. ARTA-Ansatz herausgestellt. Der ARTA-Ansatz wurde in einer Java-basierenden Software-Bibliothek namens „JARTA“ umgesetzt. Diese ist frei verfügbar sowie variabel und einfach einsetzbar. Durch das Forschungsvorhaben wurde das Bewusstsein um das Auftreten und Wirken von Autokorrelation in logistischen Systemen geschärft. Projektpartner bestätigen, dass durch gezielte Untersuchung auf Abhängigkeiten Fehler bei der Systementwicklung und beim Systembetrieb verringert werden konnten.

Currently, customers are exerting a lot of pressure on companies by demanding for best product quality, customized products, reduced product lead time and reliable product delivery. Therefore, for companies to be highly competitive, there is need to improve productivity and delivery performance by having an efficient material flow. Nevertheless, the task of making the material to flow efficiently throughout the manufacturing process up to when the customer receives the product is not easy. To solve this, companies are focusing on the material handling system as it has an impact on efficient material flow and productivity. Hence, the aim of this project was to explore how an internal material handling system can be improved to guarantee a better delivery performance. To fulfil the aim, a single case study was undertaken at a dairy food producing company in Jonkoping. The information on the subject area was obtained through interviews, observation at the company and an extensive literature review. The information that was obtained was assessed in accordance with the framework of the project that includes; principles and physical elements used for designing a material handling system, software and information, and human and management. Combined analysis of the findings from the empirical study and the extensive literature review helped to identify the problems faced in an internal material handling system of the company. This was followed by identifying ways of improving material handling system and thereafter, improvement suggestions were made targeting enhancement of the delivery performance of the system. In conclusion, the findings indicate that improvement of an internal material handling system does not only depend on improving the physical attributes of the system, far from it, it is more dependent on having an efficient and effective information system. Another factors that came out is that there should be a proper integration of the material handling system and the workers operating the system. From a systems perspective this research has added information sharing and human and management to the one dimensional physical elements improvement of a material handling system.

No description available.

Composants essentiels de tout ordinateur, les semi-conducteurs sont utilisés dans de nombreux secteurs. Les percées technologiques dans ce domaine imposent un rythme vertigineux aux industriels. Tous les deux ans environ, la capacité des puces est doublée et leur prix est divisé par deux. Le diamètre des plaquettes de silicium augmente et, regroupées en lots, les plaquettes sont plus lourdes à transporter. Les systèmes automatiques de transport (AMHS) se présentent comme une excellente alternative. Le prix très élevé des équipements de production fait que l’objectif est de saturer les capacités de production. Pour y parvenir, il est important que le système de transport et de stockage garantisse que les machines n’attendent pas des lots disponibles, et aussi que les lots n’attendent pas une machine disponible.Dans la littérature, la complexité du problème (jusqu’à 700 étapes de fabrication, flux réentrants, etc.) fait que les études de modélisation du transport se font avec de fortes hypothèses sur la production ou inversement. Pourtant, le transport est un service pour la production. Cette thèse propose une approche de modélisation permettant d'intégrer le plus fidèlement possible les contraintes de transport, production et stockage, afin d'améliorer les indicateurs clés de la production. Une analyse détaillée du système a permis de construire un modèle de simulation à événements discrets. Enfin, après une validation industrielle, l'étude complète du modèle a permis d'analyser les paramètres critiques de gestion du transport. Les résultats permettent une meilleure compréhension du système et mettent en exergue d'intéressantes perspectives de recherche. / Essential components of all computers, semiconductors are widely used in many sectors. Quick advances in these technologies force a challenging rhythm to manufacturers. Following the Moore’s Law, chip capacity doubles approximately every two years and prices are divided by two. Thus, the increase of the diameter of wafers to 300 mm makes them heavier to transport in lots. Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) are an excellent alternative to tackle this problem. Because of the high price of production equipment, the goal is to use production capacity as much as possible while avoiding to keep too much inventory. To reach this goal, it is important that the transportation and storage system ensures that machines do not wait for available lots, and also that lots do not wait for available machines. In the literature, due to the problem complexity (up to 700 steps, re-entrant flows, etc.), the modeling of transportation is made with strong assumptions on the production or vice-versa. However, transport is a service for production. This thesis aims at providing a modeling approach that allows the integration in details transport, production and storage constraints, in order to improve production key indicators. A detailed understanding of the system allows us to build of a discrete event simulation model which is, in our point of view, the best compromise between the necessary level of details and computational times. Finally, through industrial validations, the complete study of the model allows critical parameters of transport management to be analyzed. The results help to get a better understanding of the system and open interesting research perspectives.

Die Arbeit beschreibt ein Modell, dass den Materialfluss in Transport- und Puffersystemen mit Hilfe eines agenten-basierten Ansatzes realistisch abbildet. Auf der Basis von Produktionsprogrammen werden individuelle Güter in beliebigen Netzwerkstrukturen mit Hilfe direkter und indirekter Interaktionen behinderungsvermeidend gesteuert. / The thesis describes a model that realistically illustrates the material flow in transport and buffer systems by means of an agent-based approach. Individual goods are steered hindrance-avoiding in arbitrary network structures based on production programs by means of direct and indirect interactions.