Inhalt: | Theme Paper -- The Role of ACME in the Direction of Production Research -- Quality and Measurement -- The Development of Ultrasonic Sensors for Ranging and Imaging -- A High Speed Assembly Force Monitoring System for Quality Control -- Modelling Integrated Systems of Quality Control -- Automotive Suppliers: A Survey of Quality Management Methods and Attitudes -- The Influence of Cost, Function and Process Capability on Tolerance -- Problems of Very Long Life Prediction When Employing Short Term (Routine) Test Methods -- Plastic and Composite Materials -- Comparative Flow Properties of the Polyethylenes -- Processing Characteristics of PVC Powder Formulations -- Use of Fibre Reinforced Composites in Robot Structures -- The Use of Composite Materials in Engineering -- CAD -- Blend Design Scheme of Solids with Parametric Surfaces -- Performance Experiments on an Industrial Minicomputer Running Computer-aided Design Software -- Quadratic Surfaces on Triangles and Squares for CAD/CAM -- An Approach to Layout Planning Using a CAD System -- CIM and Expert Systems -- MAP and CIM -- Napier CIM Centre -- An Expert Systems Approach to Machine Tool Selection -- Simulation -- A Modular Simulation Model for FMS Using Structured Techniques -- Performance and Simulation of Heat Treatment Furnaces -- FMS — Simulation and Practice -- A Simulation Tool for Real Time Scheduling of FMS -- Automation -- A Survey of Wire Harness Manufacturing Strategies -- The Development of a Modular Cell Control System for FMS -- An Automated Press Working System -- The Design of a Low Cost System for the Automatic Locating and Clamping of Components within a Flexible Manufacturing Cell -- Robots and Assembly -- Correcting the End Deflection of an Industrial Robot Arm and Employing a Weighing Mechanism on the Robot Arm -- Developments in Post-processing for Offline Robot Programming -- The Presentation of Parts for Robot Assembly -- An Analytical and Modular Approach to Robotic Force Control Using a Wrist-based Force Sensor -- Mathematical Model and Test Method for ‘Static’ and Dynamic Positional Accuracy Measurement of Robots for Six Degrees of Freedom -- Rapid Estimation of Operation Times for Robotic Assembly -- The Development of Autonomous Devices to Aid Component Assembly -- Small Parts Feeding Using a Horizontal Belt Feeder and a Low Cost Vision System -- An Investigation into the Effect of Inter-transducer Distance on the Voltage-gap Relationship of a Set of Inductive Transducers for Robot ‘Static’ and Dynamic Positional Accuracy Measurement -- An Intelligent Vacuum Gripper for Robotic Handling -- Determining Flexibility Requirements in Robotic Assembly -- The Use of Compliance in Robotic Assembly -- Work Design and Organization -- How Not to Design a Questionnaire Form! -- A Study of Effectiveness of Some Algerian Production Organizations -- Who Manages Computer-aided Design and Manufacturing? -- Watching Managers at Work: A Research Approach -- Computer Aided Production Management -- A Pragmatic Approach to CAPM in Smaller Companies -- A Petri-net Representation of Computer-aided Production Management -- Computer-aided Flow Shop Scheduling -- Production Management System -- Production Economics -- Technology and the Small Company -- The Relationship between Costing Systems and AMT Investment -- Loss Generated by Poor Production System Specification and Design -- The Development of an In-house PCB Manufacturing Facility -- Product Quality and UK Trade Performance -- The Output and Trade Performance of the UK’s Manufacturing Industries -- The Financial Management of Quality as a Strategy -- Manufacturing Systems -- Design For Manufacture: Good Practice and its Implementation -- The Application of SSADM to the Design of Information Systems in Manufacturing -- An Analytical Approach to the Introduction of Advanced Production Systems -- Bridging the Gap between CAD and CAM — GIPPS: A Generative Integrated Process Planning System -- The Development of a Manufacturing Design Procedure -- Low Stock Manufacturing -- Work Loading of Multi-model Flow Process Lines -- The Implementation of a Computerized Classification System in a High Variety, Batch Manufacturing Company -- A Knowledge-based Information Sub-system for Flexibly Automated Manufacturing Systems -- The Influence of Management Systems on Production Line Design -- The Design of an Optimum Information System in a Manufacturing Environment -- Processes -- Monitoring, Targeting and the Use of SPC within the Energy Chain of Manufacture -- The Temperature Compensated Grinding of Bearing Rings -- The Effect of Gullet Geometry on the Performance of Hacksaw Teeth -- Use of Computers to Reduce Plastic Injection Mould Lead Times -- Metallurgical Effects Associated with the Centreless Grinding of EN24 Steels -- Polishing Moulds and Dies by Electrochemical Machining — A Theoretical Study of Smoothing EDM Surfaces by ECM -- A Mathematics Analysis for the Experimental Study of Plate Springback at the Top Roll Contact in Four-roll Plate Bending -- Human Factors -- Developing a Human Interface for a Rotary Forging Machine: Definingthe Issues -- Developments in the Design and Evaluation of Industrial Seating -- Author index. EN Corlett Joint-Chairman - COPED, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK The contributions offered to this Third National Conference demonstrate that research in production is very much alive. The considerable numbers of papers on robotics, automation and flexible manufacturing systems, together with those in production control and quality matters, demonstrate that there is much work going on in our colleges, polytechnics and universities related to modern methods of manufacture. The future of manufacture undoubtedly hinges on better control. Control over the supply and movement of materials is now keenly sought. Control over manufacturing equipment is also a goal, not just to maintain quality but to give flexibility in sequence and quantity. None of these objectives for improved performance is entirely a technical matter, although there is an increasing technical ability to influence all of them. To achieve their potential, they depend on competent people at all levels. Discussion with alert managers soon reveals that this is one of their major concerns. Either the people they have require more training, or they cannot hire the people with the abilities they need. This applies at all levels, and the availability of people with competence in manufacture is particularly low. |
