978-0470444047 Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Manufacturing Systems

Answers to Problems at the End of Chapter 8 8-1

SECTION 8.1

8.1 To some extent, the automatic factory is still valid today. There are three components in

an automatic factory – manufacturing, material handling, and the information system. In

8.2 The semiconductor industry would be a good target for the automatic factory. Machinery

8.3 Advantages of automatic warehouse:

High throughput

Disadvantages of automatic warehouse:

8.4 A cross docking facility can be totally automated. A list that is required for a fully

automated cross docking facility with respect to the material handling aspect:

8.5 A container shipping yard can be totally automated. A list that is required for a fully

automated container shipping yard with respect to the material handling aspect:

SECTION 8.2

8.6 Criteria for comparing the different variations of the straight-line flow pattern for fixed

8.7 Dial-indexing machine, single-stage multimachine systems. The student may also come

SECTION 8.3

8.8 Criteria for comparing transfer line and FMS:

8.9 Alternatives for moving part as shown:

Answers to Problems at the End of Chapter 8 8-3

Spurs can be removed so that the system will have an on-track upload/offload. An

SECTION 8.4

8.10 Criteria for comparing FMS and SSMS:

Part transportation requirement

8.11 Tool management problem in:

FMS: In a FMS environment, tool sharing among machines is common. This trend

is perpetuated by limited tool magazine size and more importantly; keeping a

8.12 Answer will depend on the student, but some relationships are as follows:

Answers to Problems at the End of Chapter 8 8-4

handling system design.

SECTION 8.5

8.13 By having a device that serves multiple functions, in this case, storage and fixturing, the

second rule of thumb is automatically satisfied. The storage/fixturing device would be

8.14 The waiting time can be reduced since there is less handling between the time the

part is taken from storage to the time it is processed. Therefore, a worker may save

SECTION 8.6

8.15 Research question: Response will be based on the paper chosen for review.

8.16 Research question: Response will be based on the paper chosen for review.

8.17 JIT and lean manufacturing have essentially the same objectives. Both strive for

Answers to Problems at the End of Chapter 8 8-5

unless there is flexibility in reordering the machine.

8.19 JIT can be applied to continuous production systems since JIT requires a pull-based

production system. Like discrete-part production systems, a continuous production

8.20 Research question. Response will be based on the paper chosen for review.

8.21 Research question. Response will be based on the paper chosen for review.

8.22 In a straight line-balancing problem, the set of assignable tasks is limited to that task

8.23 Quality problems can be communicated and addressed as they occur, thus leading to

8.24 To evenly balance the processing time among the workers the following assignments

would be made:

8.25 In this case each worker would be assigned 80 units of processing time. The assignments

are as follows:

SECTION 8.7

8.27 Research question.

8.28 Research question.