ABSTRACT
Successful attainment of Total Manufacturing Assurance (TMA) reflects that all manufacturing systems are designed with robustness and efficiency in mind. This means that the manufacturing system must fulfill a set of comprehensive and detailed state-of-the-art design requirements, which are directly linked back to the organizational strategic plan. Topical areas include focused layout/flow, material handling, automation, and simulation. Maximum manufacturing system efficiency comes from layout arrangements that reduce distances, inconvenience, and inflexibility. Methods available to achieve this include From-To charting, REL charting, and Space-Relationship Diagramming. Computer programs are available that expedient such analyses and allow for comparative assessment of several candidate layout designs. System efficiency is also enhanced via the use of automation. This technology enables repetitive tasks to be performed faster and more consistently. Automation is generally classified as either hard or soft. The latter distinguishes itself by being flexible in its manufacturing intent. Many factors (e.g., programmability) are involved in selecting the most cost-effective automation approach, if any, for a manufacturing system.
