Marek Fertsch

Method of buffering critical resources in make-to-order shop floor control in manufacturing complex products

The article presents the results of research on creating a dedicated planning system and shop floor control in the conditions of make-to-order in manufacturing complex products. The research was carried out at the Marine Diesel Engines Factory of HCP S.A., Poznan. HCP S.A. is the biggest producer of high-power marine engines in Europe. The result of the research is a method for buffering critical resources in shop floor control. These methods of buffering critical resources include procedures of buffer management, (buffer configuration and optimisation), a system of disruption compensation and feedback protecting from the destructive influence of ‘wandering bottlenecks’. The simulations show that this method is more effective than the classical drum-buffer-rope production solution, according to the theory of constraints (TOC), using the first-in-first-out rule. Finally, the lead time and the level of work-in-process were about 20% lower than the solution recommended to TOC. In the final part of the article a place and a method of implementing the solution in a planning system of the enterprise are discussed.

The Concept of Closed-loop Supply Chain Integration Through Agents-based System

Closed-loop supply chains CLSC) concept is response to a challenge that more and more supply chains meet namely need to include a return flow of materials in they planning and coordination structure. Following paper presents on-going project regarding the application of agent-based systems for supply-chain synchronized production planning including management of raw materials flow as well as flow of returned by customer obsolete products and defected semi-products and products that are refused by quality control within the factory. Authors discuss the main problems that appear by synchronized material flow planning in CLSC. The model for integration of closed-loop supply chain through an agent-based system is proposed.

Multiagent Approach for Supply Chain Integration by Distributed Production Planning, Scheduling and Control System

The changing business environment in which manufacturers are acting creates the need for more effective production processes planning, scheduling and control methods that are able to deal with uncertainties inherent in internal processes and external deliveries. The aim of the paper is to introduce the multiagent approach method for production planning, scheduling and control applicable in conditions of supply chain (SC) able to overcome the limitation of standard MRP/ERP systems in changing environment. Traditional approaches very often do not consider the influence of uncertainty inherent in production processes and supplies. Therefore, there is a need for the integration of manufacturing process planning, scheduling and control systems for generating more realistic and effective plans. Conceptual framework for the multiagent approach method involves the hybrid solutions combining the advantages of MRP simple logic and theory of constrains (TOC) ability to synchronize all production and material flow in supply chain. Authors discuss how application of TOC buffers monitoring procedures can help to improve the control of synchronized production and material flow in supply chain.

Production flow control in the automotive industry – quick scan approach

The automotive industry is highly competitive. Manufacturers have to effectively control very complex production processes in order to fulfil customers’ orders for customised cars on time. The automobile assembly plants are highly stabilised production systems. However, uncertainty is still inherent in such systems. The aim of the paper is to propose a method that might be applied for a quick scan of the production flow in an assembly plant. The authors briefly present the theoretical background of the research and they discuss the main problems that have appeared by analyses of the uncertainty influence on the manufacturing operations performance. The classification of disturbance sources is provided as well as a detailed description of the case study and numerical example.

Production planning model with simultaneous production of spare parts

This paper presents, proposed by the authors, application classical models of stock replenishment in production planning model with simultaneous production of identical components for the need of own assembly and as spare parts in machine industry plants. The goal of the thesis was to elaborate a production planning model which would allow to combine all demand sources within one production schedule and to decrease spare parts stock with simultaneous production of identical components (spare parts, subassemblies) for the need of own assembly and as spare parts. The proposed production planning model has been based on the classical stock management theory and material requirement planning methods. It results in merging production management and stock management in a one coherent material flow management system. The research was done in GRUNDFOS POMPY Ltd. Company. GRUNDFOS is one of the biggest pump producers in the world. The model has been verified through its implementation and resulted in a decrease of spare parts stock by nearly 50%.

Information Technologies in Environmental Engineering

Information Technologies in Environmental Engineering.- Formal Methods and Data Processing Techniques.- Environmental Policy and Management.- Modelling and Stimulation.- Tools and Measurement Techniques.- Practical Applications and Experiences.

Agent-Based Technology as a Tool for the Integration of Manufacturing Systems

Agent-based technology provides a natural way to design and implement efficient manufacturing environments. In this paper we emphasize features of state-of the art manufacturing systems. Furthermore we present fundamentals of agent based systems and an agent-based framework for the coordination and integration of manufacturing systems. It models each stage or process as an autonomous agent. Each agent is a software entity that has a set of protocols which govern the operations of the manufacturing entity, a knowledge base, an inference mechanism and an explicit model of the problem to solve. The protocols specify what action an agent will take based on its local state and the messages received from other agents.

Modeling and simulation method to find and eliminate bottlenecks in production logistics systems

The paper presents the method of modeling and simulation of production logistics systems. Finding and eliminating bottlenecks is the main goal of this method. Production system is identified using IDEF0 methodology. The model is constructed as a system of equations, which describe the elements of the production system in the relationships between them. The special category of resources - logistics resources is distinguished. A special parameter called “flow” is introduced. The algorithms to compute this parameter and to use it in order to find and eliminate bottlenecks are described. The results of simulation experiment are presented.

Monitoring the Operations Management Performance in Automotive Industry

The following paper reports the first phase of case study being conducted in automobile industry. The project regards the improvement of operations management through more efficient production sequence planning and its control. In the paper the issues related to monitoring of production plans execution are analyzed. Authors present briefly the theoretical background of research and discuss main problems that have appeared by analyses of manufacturing system performance. The operational management performance measures design by authors is presented. The further steps of research to be conducted are proposed.

An Optimization Approach for Scheduling and Lot Sizing Problems in Electromechanical Industry Using GA-Based Method

The paper presents a method to determine the lot size and production schedule for variable ranges of products based on genetic algorithm. The computer simulation checks the established deadlines for the various orders and strives to minimize the total cycle of production times and machine setup times. The authors present the assumptions of the model and its results concerning generation of the optimal production sequence for the analyzed products. The paper also comprises the analysis if it is reasonable to combine orders or separate them according to individual customer needs.