Research of Dynamic Material Handling in an Automobile General Assembly Line Based on Real-time Information

The status of material delivery of an automobile general assembly line is analyzed,and the technique to achieve the real-time tracking of assembly statas information is proposed based on RFID( Radio Frequency Identification) . Thus the consumption of line-side buffer is obtained dynamically,then the type and quantity of needed material are fed back to the subsystem of material handling; the algorithm for determining the best time departure time of delivery driver based on minimizing of total time penalty function is proposed. This approach makes the ma- terial amount of a single delivery trip maximized and improves the efficiency of delivery drivers significantly in the case of does not affect the assembly line normal throughput. Additionally,although this dynamic material handling method is developed for the automobile assembly plant,it should be pointed out that this method is also applicable to other mixed model assembly plants such as electronics,semiconductor and aerospace industry.     

Level scheduling of mixed-model assembly lines under storage constraints

In a mixed-model assembly line, different models of a common base product can be manufactured in intermixed production sequences. A famous solution approach for the resulting short-term sequencing problem is the so-called level scheduling problem, which aims at evenly smoothing the material requirements over time in order to facilitate a just-in-time supply. However, if materials are delivered in discrete quantities, the resulting spread of material usages implies that issued cargo carriers of a respective material remain at a station for a longer period of time. In practical applications with many materials required per station, this procedure might lead to bottlenecks with respect to the scarce storage space at stations. This paper investigates level scheduling under the constraint that the induced part usage patterns may not violate given storage constraints. The resulting sequencing problem is formalised and solved by suitable exact and heuristic solution approaches.     

Scheduling distributed flowshops with flexible assembly and set-up time to minimise makespan

The scheduling problems under distributed production or flexible assembly settings have achieved increasing attention in recent years. This paper considers scheduling the integration of these two environments and proposes an original distributed flowshop scheduling problem with flexible assembly and set-up time. Distributed production stage is deployed several homogeneous flowshop factories that process the jobs to be assembled into final products in the flexible assembly stage. The objective is to find a schedule, including a production subschedule for jobs and an assembly subschedule for products, to minimise the makespan. Such a scheduling problem involves four successive decisions: assigning jobs to production factories, sequencing jobs at every factory, designating an assembly machine for each product and sequencing products on each assembly machine. The computational model is first established, and then a constructive heuristic (TPHS) and two hybrid metaheuristics (HVNS and HPSO) are proposed. Numerical experiments have been carried out and results validate the algorithmic feasibility and effectiveness. TPHS can obtain reasonable solutions in a shorter time, while metaheuristics can report better solutions using more yet acceptable time. HPSO is statistically comparable yet less robust compared with HVNS for small-scale instances. For the large-scale case, HPSO outperforms HVNS on both effectiveness and robustness.     

Optimising part feeding in the automotive assembly industry: deciding between kitting and line stocking

In a synchronous and fast-paced assembly line operation, it is crucial that the right parts are being supplied at the right time and at the right place. In automotive assembly, the need for efficient material handling part delivery is particularly great because of extensive product customisation and the lack of space to stock all the required parts at the assembly line. This paper introduces a mathematical cost model for evaluating the assignment of parts to one of two possible material supply systems: kitting or line stocking. Case data from an automotive company in Belgium is used to test the model. The results demonstrate that hybrid policies, where some parts will be kitted while others will be stocked in bulk at the line, are preferred to the exclusive use of either material delivery system. The factors influencing the preferred delivery method for individual parts are explored. Numerical results are presented.     

Effective material flow at an assembly facility

Effective material flow in an assembly facility leads to reduced material handling costs and increased productivity. This research focuses on improving the flow of materials for an assembly facility that receives supplied parts through receiving docks and transfers the parts to material storage locations and then to part usage locations. The locations of the receiving docks, storage locations, and line locations are predetermined, but the assignment of parts to dock locations and storage locations and the material flow paths through the facility are decision variables. Furthermore, design decisions such as the dock strategy employed and the configuration of the storage areas lead to additional decision variables. The goal is to reduce overall material handling costs by effectively receiving, storing and transferring the material from loading docks to line locations. The contribution of this research is in applying multi-commodity network flow models that integrate many of the sub-problems that are assumed to be solved a priori in many existing models. This integrated approach was used to evaluate configuration changes for a collaborating facility. One of the scenarios analysed showed an improvement in the material handling costs of nearly 10% as compared to current practices.     

物料齐套时间不确定的多地总装作业前摄性调度

定制型生产线的总装环节具有工程项目式运作、在客户地开展手工装配、所需物料众多等特点,装配组在各个客户地往来调配需要差旅时间,而装配物料又难以如期齐套,容易导致人员和物料的相互等待,从而延长了此类生产线的交付周期。本文通过对总装作业进行前摄性考虑以减少等待浪费、缩短交期。首先建立不确定环境下多地总装作业前摄性调度数学模型,然后以质量鲁棒性和解的鲁棒性为优化目标,构建了结合缓冲时间插入策略和抽样仿真技术的非支配排序遗传算法NSGA-II求解问题,最后通过实际样例验证了算法的有效性。     

Assigning jobs to time frames on a single machine to minimize total tardiness

This paper deals with a sequencing problem arising in the management of paced-flowlines, that is production lines where jobs are released at constant time intervals. The problem is to sequence jobs to minimis total tardiness. The problem can be formulated as an assignment problem with a number of knapsack constraints. We prove the strong NP-hardness of the problem and give a number of lower bounds which are used in a branch-and-bound algorithm. Computational results in realistic settings confirm the effectiveness of the procedure developed. The results are particularly interesting with reference to mixed-model assembly lines in which several jobs of few different types are produced periodically.     

Performance evaluation of small-batch container delivery systems used in lean manufacturing – Part 1: system stability and distribution of container starts

In lean manufacturing, milk run (MR) systems represent route-based, cyclic material-handling systems that are used widely to enable frequent and consistent deliveries of containerised parts on an as-needed basis from a central storage area (the ‘supermarket’) to multiple line-side deposit points on the factory floor. MR systems generally result in short lead times, low variability, and low line-side inventory levels. In the first part of this two-part paper, a basic, single-tugger MR system is described. Stability conditions are derived with respect to the ‘physical capacity’ of the tugger, and the ‘time utilisation’ of the driver/material handler, both of which are key criteria since the number of containers that can be delivered during each MR is limited, and each MR targets a prescribed cycle time to ensure timely and consistent deliveries. We also derive the distribution of the number of containers requested per MR, which allows the model to estimate the probability of exceeding the physical capacity of the tugger or the prescribed cycle time, under the assumption that sufficient kanban are available for each part type delivered by the MR system. The results of the study facilitate the design and analysis of MR systems used in industry.     

Selection of assembly lines feeding policies based on parts features and scenario conditions

This paper explores the impact of parts features, i.e. unit size and cost, as well as scenario variables on the total delivery cost of materials to assembly lines workstations, according to different materials feeding processes (kitting, line storage and just-in-time delivery). After building cost models based on parts features explicitation, a sensitivity and parametric analysis is carried out in order to justify the cost-effectiveness of each feeding policy and understand whether economic break-even points exist among available feeding alternatives on the basis of the values assumed by relevant attributes of parts. This allows to map areas where each feeding policy is more convenient and also allows a quick method to choose the best feeding policy for each part on an economic basis.     

Order-oriented cooperative sequencing optimisation in multi-mix-model assembly lines

Order-oriented products assembly sequence among different assembly lines becomes a critical problem for mass customisation manufacturing systems. It significantly affects system productivity, delivery time, and manufacturing cost. In this paper, we propose a new approach to extend the traditional products sequencing from mixed model assembly line (MMAL) to multi-mixed model assembly lines (MMMALs) to obtain the optimal assembly sequence with the objectives of minimising consumption waviness of each material in the lines, assembly line setup cost, and lead-time. A multi-objective optimisation algorithm based on variable neighbourhood search methods (VNS) is developed. We perform an industrial case study in order to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

Rolling horizon production scheduling of multi-model PCBs for several assembly lines

The joint task of allocating several PCB assembly jobs to a set of production lines, load balancing of the line machines and job scheduling is considered. The production facility includes a number of assembly lines of different kinds, the PCB jobs are of different types and they should be allocated to suitable (i.e. feasible) lines. Scheduling of the production should respect the predefined release and due dates, and the objective is to minimise the sum of job tardy times. The scheduling is of the rolling-horizon-type where at the beginning of each planning period new jobs are inserted in the current non-preemptive production programme of unfinished jobs from the past planning periods. A mathematical formulation and a two-phase heuristic (including initial job-to-line allocation and schedule improving steps) are given for the problem. Experimental tests with jobs from practice were convincing.     

A simulation analysis of sequencing rules for ASRS in a pull-based assembly facility

Just-in-time (JIT) systems operate on a pull-based production control. The material needed is expected to be at its production site when and only when it is needed. When an automated storage retrieval system (ASRS) is used as a valve warehouse to support JIT manufacturing, the delivery time becomes critical. This paper presents an investigation on the effect of job sequencing rule on delivery performance of an ASRS, which is used as a valve warehouse to support a pull-based Kanban-driven assembly line. The analysis was based on computer simulation. The interaction of the sequencing rules with other control variables was also examined     

铀部件贮存容器内气氛控制方法研究

目的研究不同气氛控制方法对铀部件贮存容器内气氛演化及铀部件腐蚀情况的影响,获得优化的气氛控制方法。方法采用虚拟表面反应的方法建立铀材料与环境气氛反应、有机材料释放水分、干燥剂吸水的计算方法,计算提高容器密封性能、干燥剂及分散放置、有机材料干燥剂处理等气氛控制措施单独使用及联合使用的7种工况下容器内湿度控制及氧含量情况,以及铀部件的腐蚀增重情况,对比分析了各种气氛控制措施的效果。结果经研究可知,对于含铀部件的贮存容器,仅提高其密封性能反而会导致容器内缺氧,从而加速铀部件的腐蚀;放置干燥剂是较好的气氛控制方式,分散放置的效果更好;采用分散放置干燥剂的同时对有机材料进行干燥处理的气氛控制措施效果最好,不仅铀部件的腐蚀速率最低,而且可以长时间保持有氧低腐蚀速率状态。结论得到了含铀部件贮存容器内多组分气氛演化规律及铀部件腐蚀情况变化的计算方法,对比研究了多种气氛控制方法在气氛控制及降低铀部件腐蚀方面的效果,获得了优化的气氛控制方法。     

Comparative Analyses of Fixed and Removable Item Mixed Model Assembly Lines

Three designs of mixed model assembly lines: a moving belt with fixed items, a moving conveyor with removable items, and an accumulation conveyor with removable items are compared with respect to total station idle time, unfinished jobs, and production rate. The conditions required to avoid idle time and unfinished items are analyzed. Simulation is used to confirm the advantage of using an accumulation conveyor with removable items over a moving belt assembly line with fixed items.     

Nanoscale Assembly of 2D Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications

Rational design of 2D materials is crucial for the realization of their profound implications in energy and environmental fields. The past decade has witnessed significant developments in 2D material research, yet a number of critical challenges remain for real-world applications. Nanoscale assembly, precise control over the orientational and positional ordering, and complex interfaces among 2D layers are essential for the continued progress of 2D materials, especially for energy storage and conversion and environmental remediation. Herein, recent progress, the status, future prospects, and challenges associated with nanoscopic assembly of 2D materials are highlighted, specifically targeting energy and environmental applications. Geometric dimensional diversity of 2D material assembly is focused on, based on novel assembly mechanisms, including 1D fibers from the colloidal liquid crystalline phase, 2D films by interfacial tension (Marangoni effect), and 3D nanoarchitecture assembly by electrochemical processes. Relevant critical advantages of 2D material assembly are highlighted for application fields, including secondary batteries, supercapacitors, catalysts, gas sensors, desalination, and water decontamination.     

Hybrid branch and bound algorithms for the two-stage assembly scheduling problem with separated setup times

This article proposes hybrid branch and bound algorithms to minimise the makespan for the two-stage assembly scheduling problem with separated setup times. In the studied problem, there are multiple machines at the first stage, each of which produces a component of a job. When all components are available, a single assembly machine at the second stage completes the job. Existing algorithms are based on the state space search and hence suffer from the state space explosion problem. In order to reduce the search space, lower and upper bounds for a partial schedule are proposed. Also, a heuristic function and a dominance rule are developed to guide the search process. Moreover, accelerated factors are introduced to increase the speed of the search. Experimental results indicate that our algorithms outperform an existing method, and can find the optimal or near-optimal schedules in a short time for all tested problems with up to ten thousand jobs and nine first-stage machines.     

Factors impacting manual picking on assembly lines: an experiment in the automotive industry

Manual picking on assembly lines is an important part of the assembly operator's work. In the automotive industry, alternative material exposure strategies are continually evaluated in order to facilitate the assembler's work and minimise non-value-adding time, resulting in increased use of smaller bins or containers at workstations, instead of large pallets. The assembly operator's retrieval of components from bins, containers or pallets is known as manual picking. Previous work in this area has focused on picking from pallets placed on the floor; therefore, there is a need to include other forms of material exposure. The purpose of this paper is to explain what material exposure factors have an impact on manual picking times on assembly lines. A full factorial experiment, testing seven factors in 128 experiments, was conducted in an automotive assembly line setting. The factors with the greatest impact on manual picking time were packaging type; angle of exposure; height of exposure; and part size. This study contributes by addressing the importance of six factors influencing manual picking times, enhancing knowledge derived from MTM and elsewhere. The results from this study can be useful for designing manual picking operations, not just at assembly lines but also other situations where discrete manual picking occurs such as at workstations or bench assembly. Managerial contributions are evident in the examination of factors important in designing new production systems, including materials supply processes and assembly processes. A further managerial application is the use of the results in managing assembly lines.     

基于储运单元的航材携行组配研究

目的 为有效提高航材保障应急准备和战时快速保障能力,探索基于储运单元的航材携行组配新模式,解决组配航材需求大与库存条件有限的矛盾问题。方法 科学设计模块化航材携行组配方案,以组配航材需求最少为目标,分别构建了绝对约束和宽松约束条件下的组配模块配置优化模型,并通过Matlab软件实现模型求解自动化。同时,引入模块配置允许偏差约束条件,以灵敏度分析为方法手段,合理调整组配方案中与库存条件不相适应的部分。结果 算例分析表明,模块化航材携行组配方案能够使组配规模和器材需求降低58.9%,可行性大幅提高,文中构建的模块配置优化模型既能够严格按照航材携行标准精确组配,又能够根据现实状况灵活应变,具有较强的实用性、适应性。结论 航材携行组配模块配置优化模型能够支持组配方案的实施,对航材携行组配模式研究的推进、提高航材保障机动性,具有重要的现实意义。     

带时间窗的汽车总装线物料配送路径规划

分析了现阶段汽车总装线物料配送中存在的问题,建立了适用于汽车总装线物料配送路径规划的混合时间窗模型,提出了解决带时间窗的汽车总装线物料配送路径优化问题的改进遗传算法,使用了一种新的染色体编码方式和与之对应的交叉算子。针对传统轮盘赌随机操作选择误差比较大的弊端,提出改进的轮盘赌选择算子,加大随机数的产生次数并加入排序选择的思想,融合了最佳个体保存选择策略,提高算子的选优性能。实验表明该算法用于求解带时间窗的汽车总装线物料配送路径问题的有效性。     

Recent developments in inorganically filled carbon nanotubes: successes and challenges

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a unique class of nanomaterials that can be imagined as rolled graphene sheets. The inner hollow of a CNT provides an extremely small, one-dimensional space for storage of materials. In the last decade, enormous effort has been spent to produce filled CNTs that combine the properties of both the host CNT and the guest filling material. CNTs filled with various inorganic materials such as metals, alloys, semiconductors and insulators have been obtained using different synthesis approaches including capillary filling and chemical vapor deposition. Recently, several potential applications have emerged for these materials, such as the measurement of temperature at the nanoscale, nano-spot welding, and the storage and delivery of extremely small quantities of materials. A clear distinction between this class of materials and other nanostructures is the existence of an enormous interfacial area between the CNT and the filling matter. Theoretical investigations have shown that the lattice mismatch and strong exchange interaction of CNTs with the guest material across the interface should result in reordering of the guest crystal structure and passivation of the surface dangling bonds and thus yielding new and interesting physical properties. Despite preliminary successes, there remain many challenges in realizing applications of CNTs filled with inorganic materials, such as a comprehensive understanding of their growth and physical properties and control of their structural parameters. In this article, we overview research on filled CNT nanomaterials with special emphasis on recent progress and key achievements. We also discuss the future scope and the key challenges emerging out of a decade of intensive research on these fascinating materials.