2134/10389
Denis S. Bray
Denis S.
Bray
Capacitor manufacture : a total technology study
Loughborough University
2012
untagged
Mechanical Engineering not elsewhere classified
2012-09-20 08:59:21
Thesis
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/thesis/Capacitor_manufacture_a_total_technology_study/9519938
The work examines a total company operation for a specific range of newgeneration,
polypropylene capacitors, which results in recommendations
for future operational improvements and the installation of a new system
of manufacture. The research covers the major facets of a business
operation and their interdependency. These are, principally, corporate strategy, markets, product technology and manufacturing organisation.
A major feature of the work was the successful installation of manufacturing
and control systems based on cellular layout. As the production
methods were predominantly assembly orientated, this represented a
unique application of Group Technology (G.T.), in view of the fact that
such areas had received little attention by academics and industrial
engineers. The writer was fully responsible for all facets of installation
and operation of the new system which involved gaining the
co-operation of operators and staff, planning the physical movement of
machines and other facilities, and the monitoring of working procedures
at the post-installation stage. The overall conclusion was reached that the company had a fundamental
strategic problem and that basic decisions were needed if polypropylene
capacitors were to have a future. The work covered in this thesis
provides a framework to aid this decision making process. The information
presented on markets provides an indication of the scope available to the
business, and the product technology section demonstrates the need for
management of change such that minimum cost and market criteria can be
met in capacitor design. The Group Technology work was also useful in
this connection as the rationalised nature of flow and inputs provided
a datum point for the strategic planning of physical conversion processes.