Application of interpretive structural modelling and structural equation modelling for analysis of sustainable manufacturing factors in Indian automotive component sector

Sustainable manufacturing practices are essential for automotive component manufacturing organisations to ensure competitive advantage. The interrelation between sustainability enablers' namely economic prosperity, environment well-being, social well-being, performance management and research and development need to be analysed for deriving practical insights. Theoretical model development of enablers using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) has been statistically verified using measurement models and structural model of partial least square, structural equation modelling (SEM). In this context, this article presents a combined ISM and SEM approach for building the models with the help of experts for automotive component manufacturing organisation. The measurement and structural model are constructed based on survey among 70 practitioners from automotive component manufacturing organisations in Southern India. The research hypotheses have been formulated to verify the relationship and are analysed. The results of the study indicated that the usage of ISM is very powerful to establish structural relationship between sustainable manufacturing enablers and there exist structural relationship between the enablers.     

Reasons for change propagation: a case study in an automotive OEM

This paper focuses on identifying the reasons for change propagation during the production phase of the product life cycle. Unlike the traditional change propagation study where the focus is within the product, this study is focused to understand the propagation effects of change on other functional silos in the manufacturing firm. First, the reasons for the changes are identified using archival analysis through which it is found that 77.0?% of changes are due to internal reasons while 23.0?% are external. Second, these changes are distinguished into genesis, and propagated changes using a matrix-based modeling approach from which the reasons for propagation are identified. It is inferred that 32.4?% of the total changes are due to propagated changes such as inventory issues, manufacturing issues, and design error rectification. The majority of reasons for these propagated changes include document error rectification such as BOM error, drawing error, incorrect introduction date in engineering change note, and design error rectification such as design limitations. The findings indicate nearly one-third of time spent by the engineers can be reduced by developing appropriate controls during the change release process.     

Application of analytical network process for the evaluation of sustainable business practices in an Indian relays manufacturing organization

Sustainable business strategies or technologies determine the market dynamism so as to withstand competitiveness. The evaluation of such strategies is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. To deal with such problems, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and analytical network process (ANP) could be deployed. AHP considers the distribution of goal amongst the elements being compared and judges the element which has the greater influence on the goal. In order to overcome the drawbacks with AHP, ANP could be used which is a holistic approach in which all attributes and alternatives involved are connected in a network system that accepts dependencies. Priorities which are established in ANP are the same way as they are in the AHP using pair wise comparisons and judgments. ANP is the most comprehensive framework for the analysis of societal, governmental and corporate decisions that are available today to the decision-maker. It is a process that allows one to include all the factors and criteria, tangible and intangible that has an effect on making a best decision. The paper reports a research study that is focused on the selection of the best alternative from the perspective of sustainability for an Indian relays manufacturing organization.     

Web-services-based supply-chain-control logic: an automotive case study

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a decision-support software system based on web services, capable of modelling the supply chain and querying the supply-chain partners to provide information, regarding the availability of parts, required for the production of a highly customisable product. Furthermore, it describes the details of a software system for the evaluation of time and financial feasibility of acquiring the necessary parts in order for the customised product to be built. The feasibility of implementing this approach is demonstrated in a typical automotive case study. The system is capable of simulating the customer's orders impact on the supply-chain operation, while it utilises the Web services technology for facilitating the supply-chain control logic.     

An ISM approach for modelling the enablers of flexible manufacturing system: the case for India

The volatile condition of today's market is forcing the manufacturing managers to adapt the flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) to meet the challenges imposed by international competition, ever changing customer demands, rapid delivery to market and advancement in technology. There are certain enablers, which help in the implementation of FMS or in the transition process from traditional manufacturing systems to FMS. The utmost need is to analyse the behaviour of these enablers for their effective utilization in the implementation of FMS. The main objective of this paper is to understand the mutual interaction of these enablers and identify the ‘driving enablers’ (i.e. which influence the other enablers) and the ‘dependent enablers’ (i.e. which are influenced by others). In the present work, these enablers have been identified through the literature, their ranking is done by a questionnaire-based survey and interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach has been utilized in analysing their mutual interaction. An ISM model has been prepared to identify some key enablers and their managerial implications in the implementation of FMS.     

Analysis of manufacturing effects on fatigue failure of an automotive component using finite element methods

In this study, the fatigue life of an automotive suspension component was analysed using finite element methods with regard to stamping and welding effects. Because automotive suspension components are produced by forming and welding sheet metal, there are various effects on the final product, such as uneven thickness distribution, residual stresses and weld notches. Manufacturing effects may change the mechanical performance of the automotive components; therefore, it is desirable to consider these effects in the early design stage. Residual stresses due to work hardening and thermal deformation were investigated through process simulation. The redistribution and relaxation of residual stresses in a component were investigated in fatigue life analysis under a cyclic loading condition. Various equivalent relaxation curves were investigated and one was selected after comparisons with test results. The fatigue simulation results were compared to the test results; a good correlation between the two was achieved for the residual stress effects in terms of life cycles and failure locations. The simulation results also show that welding produces more detrimental effects than stamping with regard to the fatigue life of a component.     

r-FrMS: a relation-driven fractal organisation for distributed manufacturing systems

Up-to-date market dynamics and decentralisation have brought about the need of flexible and robust organisational structures for manufacturing resources. To meet the need of such an environment, the manufacturing system should be equipped with an open, reconfigurable and scalable organisational structure. This paper proposes a novel organisational model, referred to as a relation-driven fractal organisation, to meet the requirements. The proposed model applies the concept of a fractal to its organisational structure and adopts a relational pattern between composing entities as a basic building block for organising. In this paper, the existing fractal-like systems involved in manufacturing systems are investigated, and the fractal organisation is derived as their super-ordinate concept. Then, r-FrMS, a relation-driven fractal organisation applied into distributed manufacturing systems, is proposed along with its organising mechanism which adopts employment relations between manufacturing resources as its organising principle.     

Kaizen costing for lean manufacturing: a case study

In the past decade due to increasing global competition US firms have radically changed their manufacturing practices to improve their competitiveness. In pursuing this goal they have adopted a number of advanced techniques, such as just-in-time, total quality management, lean manufacturing, flexible manufacturing systems, process improvement, and design for manufacturability, to name a few. The objectives of all these programmes have been to reduce cost, improve quality, reduce cycle time, and increase flexibility on the factory floor. Support systems such as finance and cost management, however, have generally not kept pace with the level of corresponding operational changes being implemented. This paper presents a case study of kaizen costing as practised by Boeing Commercial Airplane Company, IRC Division. The purpose of this study is to describe a method used to set kaizen costs which will provide relevant cost data to support lean production decisions that would be useful to practitioners.     

Human performance modelling as an aid in the process of manufacturing system design: A pilot study

Manufacturing system design is an ongoing activity within industry. Modelling tools based on Discrete Event Simulation are often used by practitioners during this design cycle. However, such tools do not adequately model the behaviour of 'direct' workers in manufacturing environments. There is an important need to expand the capability of modelling to include the relationships between human centred factors (demography, attitudes, beliefs, etc), their working environment (physical and organizational), and their subsequent performance in terms of productive routines. Therefore, this paper describes research that has formed a pilot modelling methodology that is an important first step in providing such a capability.     

Application of fuzzy analytic network process for agile concept selection in a manufacturing organisation

Twenty-first century manufacturing organisations are capable of satisfying the varied requirements of modern customers called agile manufacturing (AM). AM enables an organisation to produce a variety of products within a short period of time in a cost-effective manner. Few researchers have brought out models for enabling organisations to improve their agility level. Total agile design system (TADS) is a model that is analogous to the technology integrated agile product development cycle. Concept selection is an important phase of TADS which is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. Selection of the best concept from agile perspective gains vital importance. Analytical network process (ANP) is a holistic approach that considers interactions and dependencies of various attributes and alternatives in a hierarchical framework used in MCDM problems. The concepts of fuzzy logic have been integrated with ANP in order to overcome the vagueness and uncertainty associated with opinions of the decision makers. Fuzzy ANP has been used to enable the selection of best concept. The case study has been carried out in an Indian traditional manufacturing organisation. The results of the validation indicate that fuzzy ANP is an effective approach for selecting best concept thereby improving agility of product development process.     

Winning customer loyalty in an automotive company through Six Sigma: a case study

Six Sigma is a disciplined approach to improving product, process and service quality. Since its inception at Motorola in the mid 1980s Six Sigma has evolved significantly and continues to expand to improve process performance, enhance business profitability and increase customer satisfaction. This paper presents an extensive literature review based on the experiences of both academics and practitioners on Six Sigma, followed by the application of the Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control (DMAIC) problem‐solving methodology to identify the parameters causing casting defects and to control these parameters. The results of the study are based on the application of tools and techniques in the DMAIC methodology, i.e. Pareto Analysis, Measurement System Analysis, Regression Analysis and Design of Experiment. The results of the study show that the application of the Six Sigma methodology reduced casting defects and increased the process capability of the process from 0.49 to 1.28. The application of DMAIC has resulted in a significant financial impact (over U.S. $110 000 per annum) on the bottom‐line of the company. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of fuzzy VIKOR and environmental impact analysis for material selection of an automotive component

Material selection is a complex process, since the process includes many criteria, determination of criteria weight and the most important factor is that the selection of appropriate criterion. The last factor indicates that the criterion must be selected in a manner, such that the selection based upon the known material parameters and the requirements of the application. Therefore the material selection can be done using MCDM (Multi Criterion Decision Making) methods. Since the inputs provided by the decision maker in linguistic manner, there is a possible chance of getting incomplete problems. So in order to overcome the problem, the inputs could be provided as fuzzy numbers. Since fuzzy set represents the uncertainty in human perceptions. In this paper, VIKOR (VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje in Serbian, means Multicriteria Optimisation and Compromise Solution) has been used a MCDM tool for the selection of alternate material for instrument panel used in electric car and in order to evaluate this selection process in fuzzy environment, fuzzy based VIKOR is used. In addition to the fuzzy VIKOR method, the environmental impacts are also considered and compared for the four materials. The results achieved in both the assessment, showed that Polypropylene could be an alternate material for the instrument panel. The objective of this study is to develop a rational method to select the best material for an application based upon known material parameters and the requirements of the application.     

Object-oriented modelling of manufacturing information system for collaborative design

Object-oriented technology has been widely acclaimed as offering a revolution in computing that is resolving a myriad of problems inherent in developing and managing organisational information processing capabilities. Although its foundations arose in computer programming languages, object-oriented technology has implications for a wide range of business computing activities including: programming, analysis and design, information management, and information sharing. The problematic issues in the development of manufacturing software systems are related to the various characteristics of manufacturing systems, which are wide, dynamic and complex. Design for manufacturing (DFM) is the integrated practice of designing components while considering their manufacturability, and its benefits are widely acknowledged in the industry. A model has been developed using object oriented technology, after analysing the fundamental elements necessary for modelling manufacturing and process planning framework used in collaborative design and manufacturing in machine tool manufacturing. The main components of this model are: process planning model (PPM), manufacturing activity model (MAM), manufacturing resource model (MRM) and manufacturing cost and time model. We are using ontologies in conjunction with specific conceptual models, which can contribute to improve the interoperability between these models. The performance of this model is shown by means of one real world case. The developed manufacturing information based design tool integrated with an intelligence design system can be used for collaborative design and manufacturing, which will support machine tool designers’ to achieve cost effective and timely design.     

Application of interpretive structural modelling for analysing the factors influencing integrated lean sustainable system

The modern manufacturing systems recognize the importance of adopting lean and sustainable manufacturing principles. Especially, Indian automotive component manufacturing organizations are interested in adopting the integrated lean sustainable manufacturing system. An appropriate methodology is required for enabling the organizations to identify the dominant factors. In this context, this article presents the interpretive structural modelling approach for identifying the mutual relationship among factors influencing the integrated lean sustainable manufacturing system. From the literature study and survey conducted among Indian automotive component manufacturing organizations, 25 influencing factors have been identified. Based on the study, top-management commitment in adopting integrated lean sustainable manufacturing and environmental knowledge occupy the bottom level of model which shows that it has more driving power. Efforts are being taken to implement the factors in the surveyed organizations.     

Production planning in automotive powertrain plants: a case study

Based on a real case study from the automotive industry, this paper deals with production planning in powertrain plants. We present an overview of the production planning process and propose a mixed integer linear programme to determine the production quantities of each product over a planning horizon of several days. Then, using real data of an engine assembly line, we simulate the performance obtained through the proposed model within a rolling horizon planning process. We perform multiple tests in order to evaluate the impact of two parameters involved in this process: planning frequency and frozen horizon length. Furthermore, in order to illustrate the value of improving coordination between engine plants and their customers, we evaluate the impact of the quality of demand information (orders and forecasts). We analyse the simulation results and provide insights and recommendations in order to achieve a good trade-off between service level, inventory, and planning stability.     

Application of fuzzy quality function deployment for sustainable design of consumer electronics products: a case study

With a steep increase in the demand for consumer electronics products, the contemporary manufacturers are committed toward sustainable development of such products. There exists a scope for developing a methodology for enabling sustainable development of consumer electronics products. In this context, fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) approach has been presented in this article in order to prioritize relevant customer requirements, sustainability parameters and sustainability initiatives. Key influential parameters for sustainable development of consumer electronics products have been identified from the literature. In the first phase of fuzzy QFD, parameters influencing sustainable development have been prioritized in accordance with customer requirements. In the second phase, environmental design initiatives have been prioritized based on critical sustainability parameters. From phase I of fuzzy QFD, ‘reduction in environmental release’ has been found as the most significant sustainability parameter with a crisp value of 22.83, and from phase II, environmental impact assessment is proved to be the significant design method with a crisp value of 20.40. The methodology would provide a comprehensive understanding to practitioners on the interrelationships among customer requirements, sustainability parameters and environmentally benign initiatives for development of consumer electronic products. The generic model developed can be applied to most of the consumer electronics product     

DFSME: design for sustainable manufacturing enterprises (an economic viewpoint)

Design for sustainable manufacturing enterprise (DFSME) is considered to be a new ideologue regarding survival of manufacturing enterprise and it can also be considered as one of the most important solutions to deal with the existing global financial crisis. The DFSME is a systemic approach that simultaneously determines the aspects of sustainability and how they can be aggregated taking into consideration the globalisation issues. The problem addressed in this paper is how to present the concepts of sustainability to guide manufacturing enterprises analysts and designers with the most effective aspects for analysing sustainability. These aspects are: international issues; contemporary issues; innovative products; reconfigurable manufacturing systems; manufacturing strategies; business models; flexible organisation management; manufacturing strategies and performance measurements. Based on these aspects, the sustainable model will be analysed and presented through covering all aspects of sustainable manufacturing enterprise and the sustainability assessment will be measured. The ultimate goal of this paper is to consider the needs of manufacturing enterprise throughout most of the world to be sustainable as well as to be globalised enterprises. This analysis shows that the DFSME is a very large task and should be taken into consideration as one aspect of the next industrial revolution.     

Making a case for sustainable building materials to promote carbon neutrality in Indian scenario

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Construction industry adds more than 35 percent of global emissions through the entire lifecycle procedure of the structure. Every stage of...     

Developing a novel approach to assess the efficiency of resource utilisation in organisations: a case study for an automotive supplier

There are different business processes in each organisation. Each business process utilises some resources to perform its related activities, produces specified outputs (products/services) and reaches organisational goals. In this paper, an approach is presented to assess the ability of business processes to utilise resources. To apply the presented framework, a manufacturing firm in the automotive industry was selected. Initially, four main business process groups were chosen for the assessment. Then, 15 processes of the four determined process groups and resources utilised by each process were identified. All of the recognised 19 resources were classified into six major categories, including physical, relational, organisational, informational, human and legal resources. Afterward, a hierarchical top-down analysis was performed to determine the ability of process groups and processes to utilise resource categories and resources. The results of the analysis show which resources have been strongly/weakly utilised by which business processes. In other words, by applying the suggested framework, it is possible to accurately identify the strengths and weaknesses of the resource utilisation. Therefore, the company can focus on weaknesses, prioritise them and develop improvement actions to increase the ability to utilise resources in the specified areas.