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Download fileOptimized assembly design for resource efficient production in a multiproduct manufacturing system
journal contribution
posted on 23.06.2016, 10:17 authored by Oliver Gould, Alessandro Simeone, James ColwillJames Colwill, Elliot WoolleyElliot Woolley, Roy Willey, Shahin RahimifardShahin RahimifardResource efficiency is one of the greatest challenges for sustainable manufacturing. Material flow in manufacturing systems directly influences resource efficiency, financial cost and environmental impact. A framework for material flow assessment in manufacturing systems (MFAM) was applied to a complex multi-product manufacturing case study. This supported the identification of options to alter material flow through changes to the product assembly design, to improve overall resource efficiency through eliminating resource intensive changeovers. Alternative assembly designs were examined using a combination of intelligent computation techniques: k-means clustering, genetic algorithm and ant colony algorithm. This provided recommendations balancing improvement potential with extent of process modification impact.
Funding
This work was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/I033351/1] as part of the Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability.
History
School
- Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering