Advances in transdisciplinary engineering, Apr 9, 2024
This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of managing supply chain data for environmen... more This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of managing supply chain data for environmental sustainability and resilience in the automotive and vehicle manufacturing industry. It presents empirics from measuring and improving the climate footprint, based on data from interviews and workshops with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers, and compares concepts of resilience of supply chains. The paper focuses on the early phases of supply chain interaction, such as supplier selection and request for quota, when specific product data is often unavailable or estimated. It discusses the trade-offs and conflicts between the needs and availability of climate footprint and related supplier data, such as localization, energy supply, material supply and transportation. It also highlights the importance of data regarding recycled contents, materials, and energy in the supply chain. The paper is connected to projects funded by the EU and Vinnova that aim to enhance the competitive sustainability and resilience of the industry.
Paper III: Kurdve, M. & Daghini, L. (2009). Sustainable metalworking fluid systems: Best and comm... more Paper III: Kurdve, M. & Daghini, L. (2009). Sustainable metalworking fluid systems: Best and common practice for metalworking fluid maintenance and system design in Swedish industry. International Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing. (submitted for publishing). point of view in research of the actual outcome from function-based contracts compared to traditional volume-based contracts. This research addresses the gap between the supplier's effort of providing FMS and the industrial user's need for such services. The focus is on investigating factors that influence the environmental outcome of chemical management and how these are taken care of in an FMS contract, especially how the shaping of economic and legal parameters affects environmental outcomes of the fluid management. The research assumption is that several important economic and legal parameters influence the business relation and that these have to be considered in FMS contracting.
International journal of sustainable manufacturing, 2012
This paper investigates the function of metal working fluid (MWF) emulsions in automotive industr... more This paper investigates the function of metal working fluid (MWF) emulsions in automotive industries in Sweden and looks at how the negative environmental and health impact of their use can be reduced through means of monitoring and system design. Major input to this study has been collected from several of the large companies in Sweden, through a literature review, interviews, questionnaires, findings from workshops and comparisons with other countries. The mapping of this data was carried out, firstly by defining several concepts and terms related to MWFs in order to give an unambiguous terminology. The MWF system design, with its impact on economical, environmental and health and safety parameters, is then described more in detail. Finally, applied monitoring methodologies are reviewed and analysed in terms of common and best practices. Insights gained were formulated as general recommendations for designing a state-of-the-art sustainable MWF system. The article gives examples of how these recommendations translate into practical design features and requirements of monitoring, and maybe of interest for professionals and researchers working with machining technology, process fluid system design and control methodology.
This paper use a case study to investigate the process analysis methods using value stream mappin... more This paper use a case study to investigate the process analysis methods using value stream mapping and discrete event simulation in early phases change decision making. The case study discuss the practical situation for the modeler. The output of each tool and the combination is evaluated with the modelling effort in mind. The result shows that it may be preferable to analyze issues like static bottlenecks and average capacity with value stream mapping while for dynamic issues discrete event simulation may be necessary. For industrial application purposes it is proposed to build the models simultaneously and to take time to do the proper static analysis before doing the dynamic analysis in order to understand the dynamic results.
This case paper describes the role of Mälardalen Industrial Technology Center, an industry suppor... more This case paper describes the role of Mälardalen Industrial Technology Center, an industry support organisation in Sweden and the way its collaborative innovation support is operated. Three programmes where representatives from academia support industrial companies are studied. The coordinating organisation act as a developed collaboration research centre. This is important for action learning and group development. It is beneficial for the university and companies with a strong programme collaboration with researchers and students.
In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbr... more In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.
Syftet med denna artikel ar att oka kunskapen om vad en okad sorteringsgrad av byggavfall far for... more Syftet med denna artikel ar att oka kunskapen om vad en okad sorteringsgrad av byggavfall far for konsekvenser pa fyllnadsgrader vid transporter och insamlingskostnader. Denna kunskap ar av stor vikt for att kunna effektivisera insamlingen av bygg- och rivningsavfall, dvs sortering, lagring och transporter. Endast halften av det 9,8 miljoner ton bygg- och rivningsavfall som genereras arligen atervinns idag och tidigare studier visar att det finns forbattringspotential avseende okade fyllnadsgrader och samordning av transporter. I artikeln har vi for 22 byggprojekt raknat fram sorteringsgrader i termer av andel utsorterat material fran materialkategorierna brannbara material, inerta material, och metaller, samt beraknat logistikeffektivitet i termer av fyllnadsgrad i de fordon som anvands for att transportera avfall fran byggarbetsplats till forbehandlingsanlaggningen. Andel utsorterat material och fyllnadsgrader har satts i relation till insamlingskostnader, det vill saga lagrings- och hanteringskostnader, transportkostnader och behandlingskostnader. Resultat visar att det finns en stor forbattringspotential avseende sorteringsgrader och fyllnadsgrader i projekten. Sorteringsgrader for samtliga projekt ligger i medeltal pa 52 % for brannbara material, 52 % for inerta material och 3% for metaller. Fyllnadsgrader i projekten i materialkategorierna blandat avfall for eftersortering, brannbara material, sorterade brannbara material, inerta material, sorterade inerta material, metaller samt sorterade metaller ligger mellan 24 % och 48 %. Intressant att notera ar att fyllnadsgraden for de sorterade materialen i snitt ar hogre an for de blandade fraktionerna. Gallande forhallandet mellan sorteringsgrad och fyllnadsgrad sa finns inget samband for de projekt som studerats. Byggforetaget har sparat drygt tre miljoner kronor i behandlingskostnader genom att sortera pa det satt man gor i jamforelse med att inte sortera alls. Dock tillkommer lagrings- och hanteringskostnader samt eventuella transportkostnader som kan oka eller minska besparingen nagot. Huruvida man tjanar pa kallsortering eller inte ar beroende pa vilket material det handlar om. Om man endast tittar pa behandlingskostnaderna sa har man sparat mer pa att sortera brannbara material an inerta material. Rekommendationen ar att lagga fokus pa att sortera ut material med laga behandlingskostnader relativt behandlingskostnaden for blandat material. Det finns aven kostnadsbesparingar att gora genom att ta fram smarta satt att sortera ut skrymmande delar av blandade material till icke skrymmande sorterade material.
The purpose of this article is to empirically investigate the present state of the performance me... more The purpose of this article is to empirically investigate the present state of the performance measurement systems (PMS) at 7 sites of 6 different large Swedish manufacturing companies. The methodology has both a bottom-up and a top-down perspective. Important findings are that the PMSs are very similar in how they function but differ a lot in what is measured.
In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbr... more In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.
Recycling and waste management industry is important for future circular material flows. The food... more Recycling and waste management industry is important for future circular material flows. The food waste logistic and recycling operations need to be managed efficiently both in terms of material efficiency and cost of operations. Supply chain challenges include extraction of the residual material, retaining material quality with low contamination, and to produce a marketable material. Consumer waste/residual material is particularly challenging in these respects. Lean is a management concept with focus on quality, flow and improvement for customers. Important lean management principles for are; Continuous improvement, Respect for people, Standardised way of work, Just in time and Right from me quality. These principles can be simulated in lean games to facilitate discussions on improving the system. Benefits from using lean management in manufacturing have been lower costs, improved customer value, and competitiveness, reached through less transport, handling and inventory losses. The recycling and waste management industry differs from manufacturing by having less value of the products and a system providing simultaneous services and products to different customers. This study used literature, process data, including observations and operator interviews, and a workshop using a lean simulation game to initiate lean thinking discussion concerning improvement measures in food waste collection and recycling. The aim with this paper is to find in what areas (if any) there is potential for lean management implementation and the challenges for implementing such management in the food waste recycling chain. The results showed several applicable lean principles in the recycling industry. The industry has focus on flow and in many respects the transportation sub-system of the studied chain is efficient, although carrier return is a significant system loss. Information flow and goal settings have improvement opportunities. Disturbance in the information flow is not unique to recycling industry but give challenges. Paying customers in each end of the value flow with various requirements adds complexity for food waste recycling. Using the lean simulation game and value stream map were appropriate to enhance understanding of the value chain. Distinguishing value-reducing activities from other non-value adding activities may be important in waste management processes. This study contributes with a case study applying lean management tools in municipal waste management of food waste and with conceptualisations for further green lean, and sustainable supply chain management research in recycling and waste management industry.
To achieve sustainable development goals, it is essential to include the industrial system. There... more To achieve sustainable development goals, it is essential to include the industrial system. There are sufficient numbers of tools and methods for measuring, assessing and improving the quality, productivity and efficiency of production, but the number of tools and methods for environmental initiatives on the shop floor is rather low. Incorporating environmental considerations into production and performance management systems still generally involves a top-down approach aggregated for an entire manufacturing plant. Green lean studies have been attempting to fill this gap to some extent, but the lack of detailed methodologies and practical tools for environmental manufacturing improvement on the shop floor is still evident. This paper reports on the application of four environmental assessment tools commonly used among Swedish manufacturing companies-Green Performance Map (GPM), Environmental Value Stream Mapping (EVSM), Waste Flow Mapping (WFM), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-to help practitioners and scholars to understand the different features of each tool, so in turn the right tool(s) can be selected according to particular questions and the industrial settings. Because there are some overlap and differences between the tools and a given tool may be more appropriate to a situation depending on the question posed, a combination of tools is suggested to embrace different types of data collection and analysis to include different environmental impacts for better prioritization and decision-making.
In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbr... more In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.
One significant environmental impact from assembly operations includes packaging material use and... more One significant environmental impact from assembly operations includes packaging material use and subsequent waste generation. Although current practice involves reduction of unnecessary materials handling, there is potential to adapt packaging material in order to simultaneously improve the environmental performance and reduce cost in a “lean and green” mindset. Hence, with increased emphasis on sustainable and efficient production systems, there is a growing need for analysis and decision support tools to be used by operators and engineers as well as management. This paper approaches the gap by presenting an industrial application in the form of a set of simplistic analysis methods, as a systematic approach for identifying lean and green improvement potentials for packaging material in assembly. The methodology uses the advantages of eco-mapping, waste sorting analysis and material handling analysis and combines them with the systematic prioritisation of the five-step waste hierarchy and Bill of Material (BOM) structure. A pilot test indicates that a systematic use of these tools can be an efficient decision support for implementing focused improvements, providing cost reductions, productivity improvements and resource savings. Hence, the methodology adds to the general assembly optimisation toolbox, providing rapid answers for packaging decisions, including materials usage, handling and disposal processes.
Advances in transdisciplinary engineering, Apr 9, 2024
This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of managing supply chain data for environmen... more This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of managing supply chain data for environmental sustainability and resilience in the automotive and vehicle manufacturing industry. It presents empirics from measuring and improving the climate footprint, based on data from interviews and workshops with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers, and compares concepts of resilience of supply chains. The paper focuses on the early phases of supply chain interaction, such as supplier selection and request for quota, when specific product data is often unavailable or estimated. It discusses the trade-offs and conflicts between the needs and availability of climate footprint and related supplier data, such as localization, energy supply, material supply and transportation. It also highlights the importance of data regarding recycled contents, materials, and energy in the supply chain. The paper is connected to projects funded by the EU and Vinnova that aim to enhance the competitive sustainability and resilience of the industry.
Paper III: Kurdve, M. & Daghini, L. (2009). Sustainable metalworking fluid systems: Best and comm... more Paper III: Kurdve, M. & Daghini, L. (2009). Sustainable metalworking fluid systems: Best and common practice for metalworking fluid maintenance and system design in Swedish industry. International Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing. (submitted for publishing). point of view in research of the actual outcome from function-based contracts compared to traditional volume-based contracts. This research addresses the gap between the supplier's effort of providing FMS and the industrial user's need for such services. The focus is on investigating factors that influence the environmental outcome of chemical management and how these are taken care of in an FMS contract, especially how the shaping of economic and legal parameters affects environmental outcomes of the fluid management. The research assumption is that several important economic and legal parameters influence the business relation and that these have to be considered in FMS contracting.
International journal of sustainable manufacturing, 2012
This paper investigates the function of metal working fluid (MWF) emulsions in automotive industr... more This paper investigates the function of metal working fluid (MWF) emulsions in automotive industries in Sweden and looks at how the negative environmental and health impact of their use can be reduced through means of monitoring and system design. Major input to this study has been collected from several of the large companies in Sweden, through a literature review, interviews, questionnaires, findings from workshops and comparisons with other countries. The mapping of this data was carried out, firstly by defining several concepts and terms related to MWFs in order to give an unambiguous terminology. The MWF system design, with its impact on economical, environmental and health and safety parameters, is then described more in detail. Finally, applied monitoring methodologies are reviewed and analysed in terms of common and best practices. Insights gained were formulated as general recommendations for designing a state-of-the-art sustainable MWF system. The article gives examples of how these recommendations translate into practical design features and requirements of monitoring, and maybe of interest for professionals and researchers working with machining technology, process fluid system design and control methodology.
This paper use a case study to investigate the process analysis methods using value stream mappin... more This paper use a case study to investigate the process analysis methods using value stream mapping and discrete event simulation in early phases change decision making. The case study discuss the practical situation for the modeler. The output of each tool and the combination is evaluated with the modelling effort in mind. The result shows that it may be preferable to analyze issues like static bottlenecks and average capacity with value stream mapping while for dynamic issues discrete event simulation may be necessary. For industrial application purposes it is proposed to build the models simultaneously and to take time to do the proper static analysis before doing the dynamic analysis in order to understand the dynamic results.
This case paper describes the role of Mälardalen Industrial Technology Center, an industry suppor... more This case paper describes the role of Mälardalen Industrial Technology Center, an industry support organisation in Sweden and the way its collaborative innovation support is operated. Three programmes where representatives from academia support industrial companies are studied. The coordinating organisation act as a developed collaboration research centre. This is important for action learning and group development. It is beneficial for the university and companies with a strong programme collaboration with researchers and students.
In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbr... more In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.
Syftet med denna artikel ar att oka kunskapen om vad en okad sorteringsgrad av byggavfall far for... more Syftet med denna artikel ar att oka kunskapen om vad en okad sorteringsgrad av byggavfall far for konsekvenser pa fyllnadsgrader vid transporter och insamlingskostnader. Denna kunskap ar av stor vikt for att kunna effektivisera insamlingen av bygg- och rivningsavfall, dvs sortering, lagring och transporter. Endast halften av det 9,8 miljoner ton bygg- och rivningsavfall som genereras arligen atervinns idag och tidigare studier visar att det finns forbattringspotential avseende okade fyllnadsgrader och samordning av transporter. I artikeln har vi for 22 byggprojekt raknat fram sorteringsgrader i termer av andel utsorterat material fran materialkategorierna brannbara material, inerta material, och metaller, samt beraknat logistikeffektivitet i termer av fyllnadsgrad i de fordon som anvands for att transportera avfall fran byggarbetsplats till forbehandlingsanlaggningen. Andel utsorterat material och fyllnadsgrader har satts i relation till insamlingskostnader, det vill saga lagrings- och hanteringskostnader, transportkostnader och behandlingskostnader. Resultat visar att det finns en stor forbattringspotential avseende sorteringsgrader och fyllnadsgrader i projekten. Sorteringsgrader for samtliga projekt ligger i medeltal pa 52 % for brannbara material, 52 % for inerta material och 3% for metaller. Fyllnadsgrader i projekten i materialkategorierna blandat avfall for eftersortering, brannbara material, sorterade brannbara material, inerta material, sorterade inerta material, metaller samt sorterade metaller ligger mellan 24 % och 48 %. Intressant att notera ar att fyllnadsgraden for de sorterade materialen i snitt ar hogre an for de blandade fraktionerna. Gallande forhallandet mellan sorteringsgrad och fyllnadsgrad sa finns inget samband for de projekt som studerats. Byggforetaget har sparat drygt tre miljoner kronor i behandlingskostnader genom att sortera pa det satt man gor i jamforelse med att inte sortera alls. Dock tillkommer lagrings- och hanteringskostnader samt eventuella transportkostnader som kan oka eller minska besparingen nagot. Huruvida man tjanar pa kallsortering eller inte ar beroende pa vilket material det handlar om. Om man endast tittar pa behandlingskostnaderna sa har man sparat mer pa att sortera brannbara material an inerta material. Rekommendationen ar att lagga fokus pa att sortera ut material med laga behandlingskostnader relativt behandlingskostnaden for blandat material. Det finns aven kostnadsbesparingar att gora genom att ta fram smarta satt att sortera ut skrymmande delar av blandade material till icke skrymmande sorterade material.
The purpose of this article is to empirically investigate the present state of the performance me... more The purpose of this article is to empirically investigate the present state of the performance measurement systems (PMS) at 7 sites of 6 different large Swedish manufacturing companies. The methodology has both a bottom-up and a top-down perspective. Important findings are that the PMSs are very similar in how they function but differ a lot in what is measured.
In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbr... more In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.
Recycling and waste management industry is important for future circular material flows. The food... more Recycling and waste management industry is important for future circular material flows. The food waste logistic and recycling operations need to be managed efficiently both in terms of material efficiency and cost of operations. Supply chain challenges include extraction of the residual material, retaining material quality with low contamination, and to produce a marketable material. Consumer waste/residual material is particularly challenging in these respects. Lean is a management concept with focus on quality, flow and improvement for customers. Important lean management principles for are; Continuous improvement, Respect for people, Standardised way of work, Just in time and Right from me quality. These principles can be simulated in lean games to facilitate discussions on improving the system. Benefits from using lean management in manufacturing have been lower costs, improved customer value, and competitiveness, reached through less transport, handling and inventory losses. The recycling and waste management industry differs from manufacturing by having less value of the products and a system providing simultaneous services and products to different customers. This study used literature, process data, including observations and operator interviews, and a workshop using a lean simulation game to initiate lean thinking discussion concerning improvement measures in food waste collection and recycling. The aim with this paper is to find in what areas (if any) there is potential for lean management implementation and the challenges for implementing such management in the food waste recycling chain. The results showed several applicable lean principles in the recycling industry. The industry has focus on flow and in many respects the transportation sub-system of the studied chain is efficient, although carrier return is a significant system loss. Information flow and goal settings have improvement opportunities. Disturbance in the information flow is not unique to recycling industry but give challenges. Paying customers in each end of the value flow with various requirements adds complexity for food waste recycling. Using the lean simulation game and value stream map were appropriate to enhance understanding of the value chain. Distinguishing value-reducing activities from other non-value adding activities may be important in waste management processes. This study contributes with a case study applying lean management tools in municipal waste management of food waste and with conceptualisations for further green lean, and sustainable supply chain management research in recycling and waste management industry.
To achieve sustainable development goals, it is essential to include the industrial system. There... more To achieve sustainable development goals, it is essential to include the industrial system. There are sufficient numbers of tools and methods for measuring, assessing and improving the quality, productivity and efficiency of production, but the number of tools and methods for environmental initiatives on the shop floor is rather low. Incorporating environmental considerations into production and performance management systems still generally involves a top-down approach aggregated for an entire manufacturing plant. Green lean studies have been attempting to fill this gap to some extent, but the lack of detailed methodologies and practical tools for environmental manufacturing improvement on the shop floor is still evident. This paper reports on the application of four environmental assessment tools commonly used among Swedish manufacturing companies-Green Performance Map (GPM), Environmental Value Stream Mapping (EVSM), Waste Flow Mapping (WFM), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-to help practitioners and scholars to understand the different features of each tool, so in turn the right tool(s) can be selected according to particular questions and the industrial settings. Because there are some overlap and differences between the tools and a given tool may be more appropriate to a situation depending on the question posed, a combination of tools is suggested to embrace different types of data collection and analysis to include different environmental impacts for better prioritization and decision-making.
In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbr... more In today's business environment, the trend towards more product variety and customization is unbroken. Due to this development, the need of agile and reconfigurable production systems emerged to cope with various products and product families. To design and optimize production systems as well as to choose the optimal product matches, product analysis methods are needed. Indeed, most of the known methods aim to analyze a product or one product family on the physical level. Different product families, however, may differ largely in terms of the number and nature of components. This fact impedes an efficient comparison and choice of appropriate product family combinations for the production system. A new methodology is proposed to analyze existing products in view of their functional and physical architecture. The aim is to cluster these products in new assembly oriented product families for the optimization of existing assembly lines and the creation of future reconfigurable assembly systems. Based on Datum Flow Chain, the physical structure of the products is analyzed. Functional subassemblies are identified, and a functional analysis is performed. Moreover, a hybrid functional and physical architecture graph (HyFPAG) is the output which depicts the similarity between product families by providing design support to both, production system planners and product designers. An illustrative example of a nail-clipper is used to explain the proposed methodology. An industrial case study on two product families of steering columns of thyssenkrupp Presta France is then carried out to give a first industrial evaluation of the proposed approach.
One significant environmental impact from assembly operations includes packaging material use and... more One significant environmental impact from assembly operations includes packaging material use and subsequent waste generation. Although current practice involves reduction of unnecessary materials handling, there is potential to adapt packaging material in order to simultaneously improve the environmental performance and reduce cost in a “lean and green” mindset. Hence, with increased emphasis on sustainable and efficient production systems, there is a growing need for analysis and decision support tools to be used by operators and engineers as well as management. This paper approaches the gap by presenting an industrial application in the form of a set of simplistic analysis methods, as a systematic approach for identifying lean and green improvement potentials for packaging material in assembly. The methodology uses the advantages of eco-mapping, waste sorting analysis and material handling analysis and combines them with the systematic prioritisation of the five-step waste hierarchy and Bill of Material (BOM) structure. A pilot test indicates that a systematic use of these tools can be an efficient decision support for implementing focused improvements, providing cost reductions, productivity improvements and resource savings. Hence, the methodology adds to the general assembly optimisation toolbox, providing rapid answers for packaging decisions, including materials usage, handling and disposal processes.
Uploads
Papers by Martin Kurdve