GROUP TECHNOLOGY

Chapter 10

GROUP TECHNOLOGY GROUP TECHNOLOGY IS A MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUE AND PHILOSOPHY TO INCREASE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY BY EXPLOITING THE UNDERLYING SAMENESS OF COMPONENT SHAPE, DIMENSIONS, PROCESS ROUTE, ETC.

 Group Technology is the realization that many problems are similar, and that by grouping similar problems, a single solution can be found to a set of problems thus saving time and effort. (Solaja 73) First book formalize the concept:
Mitrofanov,S.P. 1958, "The Scientific Principles of Group Technology"

Why Group Technology?

Average lot size decreasing Part variety increasing Increased variety of materials With diverse properties Requirements for closer tolerances

HIGH

TRANSFER LINE
SPECIAL SYSTEM FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM MANUFACTURING Cells STD. AND GEN. MACHINERY LOW HIGH

VOLUME

VARIETY

Everyday Examples
1. Fast food chains 2. Doctors, dentists and also manufacturing

A FAMILY OF PARTS

Production Family

 Lack Of Common Database For Mfg., Design...

Dont redesign the wheel Automated process planning Database to drive the automated factory

Benefits Of Group Technology Reductions in Throughput time Set-up time Overdue orders Production floor space Raw material stocks In-process inventory Capital expenditures Tooling costs Engineering time and costs New parts design New shop drawings Total number of drawings
Contd

Other Benefits Of Group Technology Easier to justify automation Standardization in design Data retrieval Easier, more standardized process plans Increases in quality

Gt affects most every operating and staff function. It is more than merely a technique, but a total Manufacturing philosophy.
DATA PROCESSING DESIGN ENGINEERING SALES

MAINTENANCE
TOOL ENGINEERING

INVENTORY
PLANNING

ESTIMATING
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

PURCHASING
ASSEMBLY MANAGEMENT MFG. ENGINEERING

QUALITY CONTROL
R&D COST ACCOUNTING

GT

SHIPPING & RECEIVING

Three Techniques To Form Part Families 1. Tacit judgment or visual inspection May use photos or part prints Utilizes subjective judgment

2. Production Flow Analysis Uses information contained on the route sheet (therefore only mfg. Info) Parts grouped by required processing
Contd

3. Classification And Coding Codes geometry/design and mfg. Info about a component Codes are alphanumeric strings Easier to use for other analyses

Types Of Classification And Coding Systems GT coding can benefit many facets of the Firm and fall into one of 3 categories:

1. Systems based on part design Attributes 2. Systems based on part mfg. Attributes 3. Systems based on design and mfg. Attributes

Examples:
Part Design Attributes Basic external shape Basic internal shape Material Length/diameter ratio Surface finish Tolerances-----machine tool Operation sequence Major dimension Tooling Batch size Part Mfg. Attributes Major processes Minor operations Fixtures needed

GT Code--a Sequence Of Numerical Digits Three major structures: 1. Monocode (or hierarchical structure) A code in which each digit amplifies the information given in the previous digit Difficult to construct Provides a deep analysis Usually for permanent information
contd

2. Polycode (Or Chain-type Structure)

Each digit is independent of all others, presents information not dependent On previous ones Easier to accommodate Change 3. Mixed Code Has some digits forming monocodes, but strings them together in the general Arrangement of a polycode

MAPPING FROM POPULATION SPACE TO CODE SPACE POPULATION SPACE H

CODE SPACE

Hierarchical Structure
32XX

321X Mechanical

323X Transmission

3231
322X

3233

3232

3221

UNF thread

3223

322 2

Hybrid Structure

Polycode

Monocode

Polycode

Reduction Of Mfg. Costs By Various Steps Of Group Technology Applications

(Adapted From Ham442)

Not All Cost Savings Are Immediate...

Improvements in Engineering Design Materials Management & Purchasing Benefits Production Control Benefits Manufacturing Engineering Benefits Tooling & Setup Benefits Management Benefits Overall Cost Reduction & Increased Productivity

12 18 24 36 Time (months)

 Proliferation Of Parts
Selection of optical instrument parts in one company, Illustrating the similarity between certain components

Note: some of the above are almost the same

Conceptual design

Design concept can be coded.

Code is a rough model of the conceptual design.

Coding (rough model) Design archive

Retrieval existing designs

Existing designs

Design modification

Retrieve designs of similar shape or function and use them as the examples.

New Design

Technique: 1. Determine part and machine requirements 2. Numerically code each part Geometry (& size) Material Other specifications (tolerance, Surface finish) 3. Form a family of similar parts which use (Largely) the same set of machine tools 4. Lay out of each cell (a group of machine Tools) to make a family of parts 5. Design group tooling

Example:

Thirteen parts with similar manufacturing Process requirements but different Design attributes

Functional Layouts Are Inefficient

Lathe Milling Drilling

L L L L

L L L L

M M M A A

M M M
Assembly

D D
Grinding

D D

G G G

G G G

A A

Receiving and Shipping

PROCESS-TYPE LAYOUT

Group Technology Layout

L L M D G A Receiving L M G G A

Shipping

Cellular Layout
Department #2 D D M I Department #1 D I Department #3 L M M I M

1st Digit part class

Positions with a digit

Form Code
2nd Digit main shape External shape element 3rd Digit rotational machining Internal shape element 5th Digit 4th Digit additional plane surface holes teeth & matching forming Machining of plane surfaces Machining of plane surfaces Other holes and teeth

Supplimentary code Digit

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rotational

6 7 8 9 Dimensions Material Original shape of raw materials Accuracy

Main shape

Rotational machining

Other holes teeth and forming

Special
Non-rotational

Main shape

7
8 9

Main shape

Main bore & rotational machining

Machining of plane surfaces

Other holes teeth and forming

Main shape

Special

Opitz coding and classification system.

(Reprinted with permission from H. Opitz, A Classification System to Describe Workpieces, Pergamon Press.)

Typical Process Planning System

Engineering drawing Process planner XX X Process planning system Process Code or other form of input

Industrial engineer Time standard Operation instruction Layout

Part programmer APT Program

APT Processor & post-processor

Production planner Scheduling MPP

Process Planning
Process planning is that function within a manufacturing Facility that establishes which machining processes and Parameters are to be used (as well as those machines capable Of performing these processes) to convert (machine) a piece Part from its initial form to a final form predetermined (usually by a design engineer) from an engineering drawing. (I.E. The preparation of the detailed work instructions to Produce a part) Process planning bridges design and manufacturing

Bridge

Design

Manufacturing

Variant Process Planning Uses the similarity among components to retrieve existing process plans (which can be modified)

Overview: Two Stages For VP Systems

1. Preparatory stage Existing parts coded & classified (i.E. Gt is a prerequisite) Part families organized Standard plans developed Databases created

(Note: this stage is labor intensive)

Contd

1. Preparatory Stage Of Variant Process Planning

Part Drawing

Coding

Family One

Standard Plan File

Family Formation
(Indexed by Family Matrix)

Process Plan

2. Production Stage Of Variant Process Planning

Coding

Family Search

Standard Plan File

Process Plan

Editing

Standard Plan Retrieval