Six sigma has been championed by major corporations since its inception two decades ago, but its record in recent years has been mixed. Anne Harris talks to global manufacturers about what the process has done for them.
Manufacturers face a continuing flow of new envionmental regulations aimed at making products environmentally safe and ensuring they are recycled. Keri Allan assesses the impact on industry.
This article deals with the Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp that is building the world's most ambitious plant for making a new generation of liquid-crystal displays. With the plant, Sharp expects to improve the efficiency of large-screen LCD TV production.
Building cars to customer order could provide the key to releasing billions of euros currently tied up in stock. Glenn Parry outlines a scheme to move the industry in this direction.
LG's high-tech screen facility in South Korea is to play a key part in the group's growth plans, which include relocating some work to China. Kris Sangani visited the site.
Is the much-lauded Japanese approach to auto manufacturing efficiency more myth than reality? Dan Coffey casts a critical eye over some recent history.
In the aerospace industry, Saab Aerostructure's work with the development of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner was an opportunity to extend the capabilities of 3D design simulation for the assembly of the aircraft's doors. We have developed and manufactured seven doors and hatches for the 787, primarily cargo doors. We had been using Delmia tools for several years, and we also conducted our own research. We decided to take the use of 3D design simulation all the way to the manufacturing shopfloor. Saab went from 2D to 3D because we wanted to move towards a complete integration of product data between ourselves and the client, in the process implementing new enterprise resource planning systems. We started to do our first trials with 3D assembly simulation in 1996. The following year we moved on to digital mock-up (DMU), and in 1999 we developed assembly simulation work instructions.
Bosch Group, the global supplier of automotive, building and industrial technology as well as consumer goods, opened its plant in Changsha, southeastern China, in 2006. Bosch managers at the new Chinese automotive technology plant found that keeping the machines running smoothly was proving to be problematic, until they discovered the benefits of total productive maintenance.
Should engineering focus on trying to attract more women when it's young people who are turning away? Also, have you thought about seizing hold of the Long Tail?
The Fraunhofer Technology Research Centre in Germany has helped to develop a smart platform which it says can autonomously implement the required modifications, ensuring an optimum and efficient manufacturing process. Under the system, known as the smart connected control platform (SCCP), a robot carefully approaches the loading ramp, picks up a component with its grabber arms and takes it to the next assembly machine. It then immediately brings a second component there, and the two are joined together. After that, the robot carries them on to quality control.
