Zuzana Soltysova

Novel Complexity Indicator of Manufacturing Process Chains and Its Relations to Indirect Complexity Indicators

Manufacturing systems can be considered as a network of machines/workstations, where parts are produced in flow shop or job shop environment, respectively. Such network of machines/workstations can be depicted as a graph, with machines as nodes and material flow between the nodes as links. The aim of this paper is to use sequences of operations and machine network to measure static complexity of manufacturing processes. In this order existing approaches to measure the static complexity of manufacturing systems are analyzed and subsequently compared. For this purpose, analyzed competitive complexity indicators were tested on two different manufacturing layout examples. A subsequent analysis showed relevant potential of the proposed method.

Mapping Requirements and Roadmap Definition for Introducing I 4.0 in SME Environment

Industry 4.0 as a new manufacturing paradigm brings in a new wave of networked manufacturers and smart factories, which will determine future competitiveness of manufacturing companies. The aim for researchers should thus be to generate and optimize innovative solutions for different types of producers including SMEs in order to support them in meeting the challenges of Industry 4.0. The paper presents the readiness self-assessment method and roadmap model as a tools to secure a consistent implementation of technologies and devices supporting smart logistics and smart production. Proposed method has been applied by selected SMEs and it was proved that the model is easy to use in real production environment.

Resolving Product Configuration Conflicts

The main objective of this paper is to propose an approach to resolve product configuration conflicts based on the previously developed framework for product component modelling in terms of mass customization and original matrix method, by which it is possible to determine the number and structural designs of all relevant product configurations.

Development of operational complexity measure for selection of optimal layout design alternative

Characterising existing approaches to operational complexity, it can be stated that for those metrics are characterful different factors used as variables such as product structure, machine composition, number of technological functions performed by machine, and others. Moreover, the complexity metrics using the information content as a basis can be divided into two groups: those which define complexity as an absolute entropy quantity, and metrics defining complexity as the relative entropy magnitude. Our view on the operational complexity is based on an assumption that process complexity value obtained as a sum of the partial complexities is not so important than a balanced operational complexity value expressing relative quantity to equilibrium levels. Accordingly, this paper introduces the novel operational complexity measure that initially identifies operational complexities of individual machines based on the number of parts, machines and operations. In the subsequent steps, these sub-measures are used to define summary complexity measure involving two balanced operational complexity characteristics. The novel measure can be effectively used to find the most suitable layout design alternative. For the purpose to prove its effectiveness, on two practical cases where tested its practicability by comparing it to the complexity indicator expressing the sum of the partial complexities.

Assessment of Assembly Process Complexity and Modularity in Mass Customized Manufacturing

Consumers’ market is made up of huge number of products as a direct response to the ever increasing demands of customers. This situation is closely related to constantly evolving technical and technological industries. The rapidly increasing demand on products and variety of functional properties enabled a series of fast-growing and emerging processes and operations all over the industry. Unfortunately for companies, such variety results with a complexity of both, products and related processes. This paper deals with the external-product and internal-process complexity in the view of its usability within a mass customized manufacturing. A novel method to identify and measure product and process complexity of an assembly station is proposed on the basis of the number of product and process variants. Subsequently, the aggregated complexity ratios can provide a complexity map of an entire production line. The novel complexity assessment method is applied and verified on the case automotive manufacturing plant. As a result of this application, the newly-proposed complexity assessment methodology is highly useful especially in customized automotive production as an effective tool for assessing the level of complexity of a selected department, or when introducing a new installation. The newly-proposed methodology can be also adopted by a company to decide on what part or sub-module can be produced by external supplied—transfer of complexity—in order to decrease own process complexity and to keep the extent of variety offered to customers. Finally, based on the case application and verifications, the complexity assessment methodology proposed in this paper is highly applicable in the mass customized manufacturing.