5  Manufacturing Processes and Production Systems

Week 5 Planned, awaiting draft

ImportantLearning objectives (tentative)

By the end of this week you should be able to:

1. Classify common manufacturing processes.
2. Relate WIP, throughput, and flow time with Little’s Law.

NoteComing soon

These lecture notes will be written from the instructor’s Week 5 draft. The topics below are a working outline.

5.1 Planned topics

• Subtractive manufacturing, forming, joining, and additive manufacturing
• CNC machines and automation
• Job shops, flow lines, and capacity
• Work-in-process and Little’s Law

NoteKey terms in this chapter

• Additive manufacturing — Building parts layer by layer directly from a digital model; commonly called 3D printing.
• Automation — Using machines and control systems to perform tasks with reduced human intervention.
• Capacity — The maximum output a resource or system can produce in a given period under normal conditions.
• CNC — Computer numerical control; machine tools whose motions are directed by programmed instructions.
• Little’s Law — The relationship WIP = throughput × flow time, which holds for any stable system over the long run.
• Subtractive manufacturing — Making parts by removing material from a solid workpiece, as in milling, turning, and drilling.
• Work-in-process — Inventory that has started production but is not yet finished; often abbreviated WIP.