Jari Montonen

Simulation-based sustainable manufacturing system design

Manufacturing simulation and digital engineering tools and procedures have had a positive impact on the manufacturing industry. However, to design a sustainable manufacturing system, a multitude of system dimensions must be jointly optimized. This paper proposes an integrated simulation tool helping to maximize production efficiency and balance environmental constraints already in the system design phase. Lean manufacturing, identification and elimination of waste and production losses, and environmental considerations are all needed during development of a sustainable manufacturing system. Engineers designing the manufacturing system need decision support, otherwise sub-optimization is more likely to occur. We present methods for calculating energy efficiency, CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts integrated into factory simulation software.

Total cost of ownership analysis for modular final assembly systems

The objective of modern assembly processes is to produce high-quality and low-cost products. Understanding manufacturing costs in the system design phase is the first step to increasing profits. Throughput, utilization, and cycle time continue to be emphasized as key performance indicators for the planning of new assembly systems, but the cost issues need to be analysed as well. The authors are developing a novel analysis methodology that integrates component-based simulation, Overall Equipment Efficiency with Cost of Ownership, and other analysis methods to improve the design of flexible, modular reconfigurable assembly systems. The development of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis tool is based on selected industrial standards and the authors’ own experience of assembly system design and simulation. The TCO method is useful in system-supplier and end-user communication, and helps in trade-off analyses of system concepts. A fictitious case study illustrates the use of the TCO method.

Developing simulation-based decision support systems for customer-driven manufacturing operation planning

Discrete-event simulation (DES) has mainly been used as a production system analysis tool to evaluate new production system concepts, layout and control logic. Recent developments have made DES models feasible for use in the day-to-day operational production and planning of manufacturing facilities. Operative simulation models provide manufacturers with the ability to evaluate the capacity of the system for new orders, unforeseen events such as equipment downtime, and changes in operations. A simulation-based Decision Support System (DSS) can be used to help planners and schedulers organize production more efficiently in the turbulent global manufacturing. This paper presents the challenges for development and the efforts to overcome these challenges for the simulation-based DSS. The major challenges are: 1) data integration 2) automated simulation model creation and updates and 3) the visualization of results for interactive and effective decision making. A recent case study is also presented.

Life cycle and unit-cost analysis for modular reconfigurable flexible light assembly systems

The article presents a decision support methodology for the selection of a modular reconfigurable assembly system using three-dimensional visualization, component-based simulation, efficiency, and economic analysis methodology. During the design and selection of an assembly system, measurement schemes should be established for determining and understanding design effectiveness. Measurements can be classed into two categories: cost and performance. Understanding assembly production costs is the first step towards increasing profits. The authors have developed an analysis method that integrates factory simulation, overall equipment efficiency (OEE), and economic analysis methods. Cost calculation includes life cycle cost (LCC), cost of ownership (COO), commonly used investment evaluation methods, discounted cash flow techniques, net present value (NPV), and internal rate of return (IRR). The idea is to use these integrated analysis methods in the selection and development of a light assembly system. The development is based on selected industrial standards and the authors’ own experience in assembly system design and simulation. The developed TCO (total cost of ownership) methodology is useful in system supplier and end-user communication; ideally, it is used in the assembly system sales process, it helps in trade-off analysis of the system concepts, and it improves system specification.

Selecting the right system ‐ assembly system comparison with total cost of ownership methodology

Purpose – To present theories for total cost of ownership (TCO) methodology in assembly system trade‐off analysis and to show benefits of the methodology as a decision support in system selection.Design/methodology/approach – The developed TCO methodology is a combination of factory simulation, system performance and loss factor evaluation using overall equipment efficiency, system life cycle costing, and assembled unit cost analysis including cost of bad quality and rework.Findings – The purchase price of equipment is just one cost element in the comparison. TCO shows how important it is to analyse all the cost, direct and indirect, incurred throughout the life cycle of an equipment, including acquisition and installation, operations and maintenance, and end‐of‐life management. TCO methodology pinpoints costs that could be easily underestimated, such as quality and rework as well as all the costs of running the system.Research limitations/implications – The methodology is partially based on semiconductor...

Meeting New Challenges and Possibilities with Modern Robot Safety Technologies

In recent years, human-robot co-operation has been of increasing interest in research, and new types of modern safety technology have emerged on the market. These include safety sensors, machine vision based safety systems, laser sensors and safety controllers for robots. The new technology enables flexible fenceless safety systems and dynamic safety regions alongside a host of other attractive features for human-robot co-operation. The safety systems can also be integrated into a transferable robotic platform. While this modern technology opens up wholly new possibilities, it also creates new and fairly complex challenges in safety design. This paper introduces some case examples of handling these challenges.

Digital human model based participatory design method to improve work tasks and workplaces

The objective of this research project was to improve manual work tasks and workplace design with a new digital human model based design method. The idea of the method was to make the design and analyze of work and workplaces easy for floor level development case. It also should to be exploitable in the context of participatory design approach. The developed method was implemented on a production design simulation platform. It was designed to be used in design of human factors, performance and functionality of a production concurrently. The implemented tool includes basic human motions which exploit real human motion data, effective work design features to easily generate variational solutions, embedded ergonomic analyses and checklists to help analyzing different work environment solutions, and to document the design outcome. Four industrial case studies were completed with the tool. The results show that the tool is feasible for individual and group design work, and has positive impacts on the design process and on the way how individuals can influence on her or his future work in production system.

Discrete Part Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Improvements with Modelling and Simulation

Energy efficiency has become a key concern in industry due to increased energy cost and associated environmental impacts. It is as well factor on marketing and reputation. Customers require information on the ecological performance of products and the process to build that product. Therefore eco-efficient manufacturing is in our days a matter of competitiveness and economic success. This paper presents industrial driven research and the key findings from production eco and energy efficiency analysis and development projects. Both static and dynamic multi-level modelling and simulation is covered with examples. The use of Value Stream Mapping and Discrete Event Simulation with life cycle inventory data for production eco efficiency analysis is explained. Generic developement steps for process, machine and production system model with environmantal aspects is shown. Development continues in EPES “Eco Process Engineering System for Composition of Services to Optimise Product Life-Cycle”- project.

Life Cycle and Cost Analysis for Modular Re-Configurable Final Assembly Systems

This article presents a case study in the design of a modular semi-automated reconfigurable assembly system using life cycle cost analysis methodology. To ensure that an assembly system is appropriately designed, system measurement schemes should be established for determining and understanding design effectiveness. Understanding life cycle costs is the first step toward increasing profits. The authors are developing an analysis tool that integrates Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), Cost of Ownership (COO), and other analysis methods to improve the design of flexible, modular reconfigurable assembly systems. The development is based on selected industrial standards and the authors’ own experience in modular assembly system design and simulation. The developed TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) methodology is useful in system supplier and end-user communication and helps in trade-off analysis of the system concepts.

Life Cycle and Unit Cost Analysis for Modular Re-Configurable Flexible Light Assembly Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates a methodology for the design of a modular semi-automated reconfigurable assembly system using component-based simulation and life cycle cost analysis. To ensure that an assembly system is appropriately designed, system measurement schemes should be established for determining and understanding design effectiveness. Measurements can be classed into two categories: cost and performance. Understanding manufacturing costs is the first step towards increasing profits. The chapter outlines the development of an analysis tool that integrates overall equipment efficiency (OEE), cost of ownership (COO), and other analysis methods to improve the design of flexible, modular reconfigurable assembly systems. The development is based on selected industrial standards and the experience in modular assembly system design and simulation. The developed total cost of ownership (TCO) methodology is useful in system supplier and end-user communication, helps in trade-off analysis of the system concepts, and improves the system specification.