The continuing trends of miniaturisation, mass customisation, globalisation and wide use of the Internet have great impacts upon manufacturing in the 21st century. Micro manufacturing will play an increasingly important role in bridging the gap between the traditional precision manufacturing and the emerging technologies like MEMS/NEMS. The key requirements for micro manufacturing in this context are hybrid manufacturing capability, modularity, reconfigurability, adaptability and energy/resource efficiency. The existing design approaches tend to have narrow scope and are largely limited to individual manufacturing processes and applications. The above requirements demand a fundamentally new approach to the future applications of micro manufacturing so as to obtain producibility, predictability and productivity covering the full process chains and value chains. A novel generic modular reconfigurable platform (GMRP) is proposed in such a context. The proposed GMRP is able to offer hybrid manufacturing capabilities, modularity, reconfigurablity and adaptivity as both an individual machine tool and a micro manufacturing system, and provides a cost effective solution to high value micro manufacturing in an agile, responsive and mass customisation manner. An integrated framework has been developed to assist the design of GMRPs due to their complexity. The framework incorporates theoretical GMRP model, design support system and extension interfaces. The GMRP model covers various relevant micro manufacturing processes and machine tool elements. The design support system includes a user-friendly interface, a design engine for design process and design evaluation, together with scalable design knowledge base and database. The functionalities of the framework can also be extended through the design support system interface, the GMRP interface and the application interface, i.e. linking to external hardware and/or software modules. The design support system provides a number of tools for the analysis and evaluation of the design solutions. The kinematic simulation of machine tools can be performed using the Virtual Reality toolbox in Matlab. A module has also been developed for the multiscale modelling, simulation and results analysis in Matlab. A number of different cutting parameters can be studied and the machining performance can be subsequently evaluated using this module. The mathematical models for a non-traditional micro manufacturing process, micro EDM, have been developed with the simulation performed using FEA. Various design theories and methodologies have been studied, and the axiomatic design theory has been selected because of its great power and simplicity. It has been applied in the conceptual design of GMRP and its design support system. The implementation of the design support system is carried out using Matlab, Java and XML technologies. The proposed GMRP and framework have been evaluated through case studies and experimental results.

Developments in cutting tools, coolants, drives, controls, tool changers, pallet changers and the philosophy of machine tool design have made ground breaking changes in machine tools and machining processes. Modern Machining Centres have been developed to perform several operations on several faces of a workpiece in a single setup. On the other hand industry requires high value added components, which have many quality critical features to be manufactured in an outsourcing environment as opposed to the traditional in-house manufacture. The success of this manufacture critically depends on matching the advanced features of the machine tools to the complexity of the component. This project has developed a methodology to represent the features of a machine tool in the form of an alphanumeric string and the features of the component in another string. The strings are then matched to choose the most suitable and economical Machine Tool for the component’s manufacture. Literature identified that block structure is the way to answer the question ‘how to systematically describe the layout of such a machining centre’. Incomplete attempts to describe a block structure as alphanumeric strings were also presented in the literature. Survey on sales literature from several machine tool suppliers was investigated to systematically identify the features need by the user for the choice of a machine tool. Combining these, a new alphanumeric string was developed to represent machine tools. Using these strings as one of the ‘key’s for sorting a database of machine tools was developed. A supporting database of machine tools was also developed. Survey on machining on the other hand identified, that machining features can be used as a basis for planning the machining of a component. It analysed various features and feature sets proposed and provided and their recognition in CAD models. Though a vast number of features were described only two sets were complete sets. The project was started with one of them, (the other was carrying too many unwanted details for the task of this project) machining features supported by ‘Expert Machinist’ software. But when it became unavailable a ‘Feature set’ along those lines were defined and used in the generation of an alphanumeric string to represent the work. Comparing the two strings led the choice of suitable machines from the database. The methodology is implemented as a bolt on software incorporated within Pro/Engineer software where one can model any given component using cut features (mimicking machining operation) and produce a list of machine tools having features for the machining of that component. This will enable outsourcing companies to identify those Precision Engineers who have the machine tools with the matching apabilities. Supporting software and databases were developed using Access Database, Visual Basic and C with Pro/TOOLKIT functions. The resulting software suite was tested on several case studies and found to be effective.

M.Ing. / A two-axis gimbal system in the form of a pitch-roll gimbal and a motion simulating platform were developed to extend the capability of an existing ground-to-air prototype gun-turret. The objective was to stabilize the line of sight (LOS) of the gimbal system despite disturbances introduced by the motion simulating platform in real time. The main sensor used for the stabilization is a two-axis accelerometer which was mounted directly on the inner gimbal (roll gimbal) to form a direct-mass stabilization architecture. The stabilization control algorithm was designed and executed in the Labview® environment on a PC, and the accelerometer data is used to drive the two DC motors used as the actuators of this control system. The design of the motion simulating platform was based on a simplified Stewart-Platform and uses pneumatic cylinders as actuating limbs. All sensors and actuators in the motion simulating platform and the gimbal system are integrated with the National Instrument’s CompactRio® and Labview®. The result was a simple stabilization controller capable of achieving basic stabilization of the LOS. However, the hardware and software of this project are capable of more complex control algorithms and that forms the bulk of the suggestions for further studies.

Please read the abstract (Summary) in the 00front part of this document / Thesis (PhD (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

The diploma thesis deals with the influence of the volumetric accuracy of the machine tool on the size of the assessed work space. The impact assessment was carried out on the basis of tests of a three-axis vertical CNC machining center. The thesis is divided into two parts, theoretical and practical. The theoretical part is focused on geometric / volumetric accuracy of machine tools, measuring technique for measuring geometric errors and Design of Experiment. In the practical part, there is an analysis of the Design of Experiment according to Shainin, description of the work with the measuring instruments and the measurement of the geometric / volumetric accuracy of the machine including statistical evaluation. The output of the thesis is the description of the influence of volumetric deviation on the size of the measured work space by means of statistical methods.

<p> This thesis is a study of numerically controlled machine tools (NCMT), and is divided into four sections. </p> <p> Section A is a literature survey of current concepts, criteria and techniques in design of MCMT structures and drives. Several of the authors own ideas are also included. </p> <p> Section B deals with NCMT manual and computer aided programming techniques. The structure and function of post processors is also covered. </p> <p> Section C is a practical combination of computer design optimization and numerical control manufacture. In an example the geometrical dimensions of a hydrostatic thrust bearing are optimized and used as an input to a generalized APT programme, written to produce a numerical control tape for manufacture of this bearing type. </p> <p> Section D is the discussion and conclusion. </p> / Thesis / Master of Engineering (MEngr)

Abstract not provided. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)

No description available.

This study identifies the concepts of reliability, cost of downtime, cost of spare parts, and procurement lead time as the four key moderators of spare parts availability. These concepts are used to establish a model to manage spare parts inventories. Reliability was assessed in terms of developing failure predictions for major component categories. Cost of downtime was evaluated by identifying various methods for determining costs associated with downtime. Cost of spare parts was examined to find correlations with economic indicators. These correlations were used to predict future price movements. Yearly changes in lead time were identified and correlated with economic indexes to develop movement predictability.

Företag kan använda sig av olika strategier för underhåll. Det kan vara avhjälpande underhåll som utförs först när ett fel uppkommer eller förebyggande underhåll. Ofta används en kombination av båda. Det förebyggande underhållet kan vara förutbestämt eller tillståndsbaserat. Fördelar med att använda sig av tillståndsbaserat underhåll är exempelvis att utbyte av enheter inte behöver ske i onödan utan först när en observation visar att ett fel är på väg att ske. Vid val av förebyggande underhåll kan RCM-metoden användas för att utröna vilka feltillstånd som kan uppstå och som orsakar funktionsfel. Val av förebyggande underhåll kan baseras på fakta om nya tekniker, felhistorik samt vilken utrustning och kompetens som finns tillgänglig. Volvo Cars i Skövde använder sig just nu av i stort sett likadant förebyggande underhåll på nya verktygsmaskiner som på gamla. Företaget använder sig av tillståndsbaserat underhåll på vissa komponenter och enheter. Det består då främst av inspektioner, subjektiva tillståndskontroller, och vibrationsövervakning på motorspindlar. Genom intervjuer framkommer att nya tekniker sällan införs och att lagda planer sällan ändras. Företaget är dock medvetet om att nya tekniker för tillståndsbaserat underhåll finns och är intresserat av att undersöka om ett utökat tillståndsbaserat underhåll är lämpligt på verktygsmaskiner. De tillståndsbaserade teknikerna som det talats om är främst ballbarmätning, övervakning av processparametrar och geometrisk verifiering. Ett underlag för att se om nya tekniker bör införas togs fram genom datainsamling av felhistorik på maskiner. Avgränsning gjordes genom att en fem år gammal bearbetningslinje för cylinderhuvuden studerades. Genom sortering av data från haverier ur underhållssystemet Maximo från de senaste åren och prioritering genom Paretoprincipen visade det sig att återkommande haverier på kulskruvar finns. Till komponenten finns ett tillståndsbaserat underhåll kopplat, den inspekteras en gång om året. Det är dock sällan som fel på komponenten upptäcks på inspektionen, bara fyra av tjugosju bytta kulskruvar de senaste fem åren är bytta efter anmärkning från inspektion. Genom att kartlägga komponentens haverier på femton verktygsmaskiner och när FU gjorts hittades flera förbättringsmöjligheter. Kostnaden för att byta kulskruv när väl fel uppstått är upp till tio gånger så stor jämfört med att byta den förebyggande. När fel uppstått har det medfört kassationer av producerade detaljer och lång stilleståndstid. Motiv för att införa ett bättre förebyggande underhåll finns därför framför allt i minskade kostnader och ökad tillgänglighet. Företaget rekommenderas att införa ballbarmätning som ett nytt tillståndsbaserat underhåll. Detta för att öka den objektiva kontrollen av mekaniska slitdelar. Mätmetoden är inte helt okänd för företaget och relativt lätt att införa. Den subjektiva kontrollen som görs idag bör göras om för att bättre fånga begynnelse till fel. Kontrollen kräver idag en hel del driftstoppstid vilket gjort att den inte utförts i tid och bör därför kortas ner. Företaget rekommenderas också att undersöka nya metoder för förebyggande underhåll kontinuerligt. Idag finns ingen anställd med uppdraget och för att utveckla underhållet måste företaget hålla sig uppdaterade på nya tekniker. / A company can use different strategies when performing maintenance. One strategy is corrective maintenance where maintenance is carried out after a failure has occurred. Another strategy is preventive maintenance. A combination of the two is often used. The preventive maintenance can be predetermined or condition based. Advantages with the condition based maintenance are e.g. that the replacement of parts can be planned according to observations indicating there’s an increasing risk of failure. When choosing preventive maintenance, the RCM method can be used to determine risk of failure modes and the cause of function failures. Decisions regarding the preventive maintenance should be based on knowledge in new techniques, history of failures and the equipment and competence available. Volvo Cars in Skövde is doing more or less the same preventive maintenance on machine tools regardless of whether it’s a new or old machine. The company is using condition based maintenance on some of the components and units. Mostly it consists of human inspections, a subjective control of the machine’s condition, and spindle vibration analysis. Through interviews it has been determined that new techniques are rarely implemented and that the decided maintenance plan for a machine is rarely changed. The company is aware of the development of new techniques for condition based maintenance and wants to investigate whether it is appropriate to evolve their condition based maintenance on machine tools. The techniques further investigated are measurement with Ball bar, monitoring of process parameters and geometrical verification. To make accurate decisions regarding the implementation of new techniques, a data collection of the history of frequent failures was done. To limit the amount of data a five year old processing line was studied. Data from the maintenance system Maximo was sorted by long failures from the recent years and by prioritizing with the Pareto principle it showed the recurring failures of ball screws. The component do have a condition based maintenance activity today, there is an inspection once a year. However, the inspection is rarely able to predict or find a failure on the ball screw. Four out of twenty-seven ball screws with fault have been changed after inspection over the last five years. By mapping the components failures on fifteen machine tools and when preventive maintenance has been done, several options for improvements were found. The cost of the replacement of a ball screw when a failure has already occurred is as much as ten times the cost of replacement before failure. This is caused by cost of scrap and long down time. A new, improved preventive maintenance task is therefore highly justified. The motif is both reducing the scrap cost related to failure and with increased availability. The company is recommended an investment in Ball bar as a new method for condition based maintenance. It should be used to increase the objective control of the mechanical parts of a machine tool. The method is not totally new for the company and relatively easy to implement. The current subjective control on the machine tools should be revised to increase the probability of finding degradation of functions. Today the activity takes rather long time and has therefore not been done in time, it should be shorter. The company is also recommended to investigate new methods for preventive maintenance continually. Today there is no employee with that mission and to evolve maintenance, the company has to be updated on new techniques.