A TQM approach for designing and building dedicated machines and equipment in-house

Many industries are responding to the need for major design changes in their manufacturing systems to include flexible and controllable systems that produce superior-quality products on time and at a lower cost. Maintaining flexibility while meeting the functional requirements of a manufacturing system often requires designing a machine that is unique. Consequently, a new trend in manufacturing systems design is to build such machines in-house. This paper describes a systematic implementation of total quality management (TQM) along with continuous improvement concepts to design and build a test-stand in-house. This project also involves creating a prototype for on-going machining design for future needs.