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A Decomposition Approach for Manufacturing System Design
by Cochran D.S., Arinez, J.F., Duda, J.W., Linck, J.
CIRP - Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2001

The research described in this paper develops an approach to help manufacturing system designers: (1) clearly separate objectives from the means of achievement, (2) relate low-level activities and decisions to high-level goals and requirements, (3) understand the interrelationships among the different elements of a system design, and (4) effectively communicate this information across a manufacturing organization. This research does so by describing a manufacturing system design decomposition (MSDD). The MSDD enables a firm to simultaneously achieve cost, quality, delivery responsiveness to the customer and flexibility objectives.

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The Impact of Performance Measurement on Manufacturing System Design by Cochran, D. and Kim, Y. -S.
Proceedings of ICAD2000, First International Conference on Axiomatic Design, 2000

This paper explains the cause and effect relationships between performance measurement and manufacturing system design from a system design perspective. As an example, it is illustrated why current performance measurement methods cause plants to evolve into mass production systems. Based on this understanding, this paper discusses the usefulness of the axiomatic design approach to develop performance measures that are aligned to the objectives of a company.

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Decision Support For Manufacturing System Design - Combining A Decomposition Methodology With Procedural Manufacturing System Design by Cochran, D.S., Linck, J., Reinhart, G., Mauderer, M.
Proceedings of The Third World Congress on Intelligent Manufacturing Processes and Systems, 2000

The paper elaborates how the traditional design procedure can be linked with the decomposition of manufacturing system requirements. The combination of the design procedure with the functional decomposition provides designers with a better tool to efficiently design manufacturing systems by considering manufacturing system requirements throughout the design process. A case study illustrates how the integrated design framework can be applied.

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The Production System Design and Deployment Framework by Cochran, D. S.
1999 SAE International Automotive Manufacturing Conference, Detroit, U.S.A.

This paper presents a revolutionary approach to determine the objectives and the implementation of a “lean” production system design for a manufacturing business as guided by the design axiom of independence.

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Equipment Evaluation Tool Based on the Manufacturing System Design Decomposition by Gomez, D. D., Dobbs, D. C., Cochran, D.S.
Proceedings of The Third World Congress on Intelligent Manufacturing Processes and Systems, 2000

This paper presents an evaluation tool that can be used to determine how well the physical characteristics of a particular piece of equipment (or set of machines) satisfy the functional requirements of the manufacturing system design. This evaluation tool for equipment is based on the Manufacturing System Design Decomposition (MSDD).

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Machine Design to Achieve Manufacturing System Objectives by Cochran, D. S.
Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Conference of the Production and Operations Management Society, POMS-2000

This paper investigates why machines are presently designed to reduce unit labor cost by increasing the speed of the machine or by eliminating direct labor altogether with automation. Machine design practices are currently shown to be operationally focused rather than system focused. This paper illustrates the way the unit cost equation and operationally-focused machine design approaches combine to result in costly factory-system implementations that do not achieve the enterprise objectives.

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Application of a Production System Design Framework to Equipment Design by Arinez, J.F., Cochran, D.S.
CIRP - Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2000

This paper presents a production system design framework and how it may be applied to equipment design and improve system design. The framework consists of a structured decomposition of production system functional requirements that are related to design parameters of subsystem components via design matrices. The decomposition has been used to generate equipment design guidelines and this paper presents an extension of this approach to integrate equipment design decomposition with that of the production system.
 

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Evaluating Manufacturing System Design and Performance with the Manufacturing System Design Decomposition Approach by Cochran, D.S., Dobbs, Daniel C.
CIRP - Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2001

This paper contrasts the design of the manufacturing systems at two North American automotive component manufacturing plants with the Manufacturing System Design Decomposition (MSDD).
 

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Manufacturing System Design of Automotive Bumper Manufacturing by Cochran, D.S., Linck., J., Won, J.
Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2001

This paper presents an evaluation of the manufacturing system design of two automotive manufacturing plants located in North America. The qualitative outcome of this study illustrates that the plant that more closely achieves the requirements stated by the MSDD better satisfies the desired results of a manufacturing enterprise.
 

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The Application of Axiomatic Design to the Design of the Product Development Organization by Lenz, R., Cochran, D. S.
Proceedings of ICAD2000, First International Conference on Axiomatic Design, 2000

This application of Axiomatic Design strives to provide a framework for the design of the organization of product development. It follows current research to expand the current theory of Axiomatic Design to complex systems, like software design or the design of manufacturing systems.
 

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Converting from Moving Assembly Lines to Cells by Estrada, D., Shukla, A., Cochran, D. S.
Proceedings of The Third World Congress on Intelligent Manufacturing Processes and Systems, 2000

The work presented herein focuses on an assignment to convert a moving assembly line -- typically associated with mass systems -- into cells which serve as the building block of a lean manufacturing system. Once the cells were implemented, the two subsystems were compared in terms of 1) design process, 2) quantifiable measures, and 3) non-quantifiable benefits. The intent of this paper is to show how the measures used for system comparison, quantifiable and non-quantifiable, take root in the design phase.
 

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Design of Manufacturing Systems to Support Volume Flexibility by Charles, M., Cochran, D. S., Dobbs, D.C.
1999 SAE International Automotive Manufacturing Conference

This paper presents an Axiomatic Design framework for manufacturing system design and illustrates how lean cellular manufacturing can achieve volume flexibility.
 

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The Application of Axiomatic Design and Lean Management Principles in the Scope of Production System Segmentation by Cochran, D. S., Eversheim, W., Kubin, G., Sesterhenn, M. L.
International Journal of Production Research, 2000

One opportunity to optimize production system design is segmentation of the manufacturing enterprise into small, flexible and decentralized production units. The presented segmentation procedure utilizes an Axiomatic Design framework and supports Lean Management practices following strategic, organizational, and technological design aspects. A case study exemplifies the developed methodology to improve competitiveness of a manufacturing company.
 

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Rationalizing the Design of the Toyota Production System: A Comparison of Two Approaches by Won, J., Cochran, D., Johnson, H.T., Bouzekouk, S., Masha, B.
Proceedings of International CIRP Design Seminar--Design in the New Economy, 2001

This paper examines two recent attempts to develop frameworks to explain the Toyota Production System (TPS): Spear and Bowen's Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System and Cochran's A Decomposition Approach for Manufacturing System Design.
 

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The Role of Physical Simulation in the Re-Design of Existing Manufacturing Systems by Cochran, D., Zhao, Z., Ng, Q.
Proceedings of International CIRP Design Seminar--Design in the New Economy, 2001

This paper presents a methodology to re-design an existing manufacturing system based on implementation experience and illustrates the role and use of physical simulation in the manufacturing system re-design process.
 

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Impact of System Design, Organizational Processes and Leadership on Manufacturing System Design and Implementation by Shukla, A., Cochran, D.
Proceedings of International CIRP Design Seminar--Design in the New Economy, 2001

Manufacturing system design methodologies often ignore the importance of enterprise related issues that affect the implementation and improvement efforts. This paper proposes a set of hypotheses on reasons for poor systemic performance illustrated by a case discussion and finally suggests a broad methodology for future implementations.
 

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Redesigning a Mass Manufacturing System to Achieve Today's Manufacturing System Objectives by Cochran, D., Kim, Y. -S., Carl, H., Weidemann, M.H.
Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2001

In this paper, the design processes of a ‘lean’ manufacturing plant that will replace the current ‘mass’ type plant of a major automotive supplier are presented. Design decision criteria associated with these conversion processes are illustrated according to a set of ‘lean manufacturing principles’. Financial justification is achieved by comparing the two systems in terms of operating costs.
 

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The Manufacturing System Design Decomposition in the Automotive Electronics Industry by Oropeza, G., Tapia, C., Cochran, D.S.
Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 2001

The objective of this paper is to present a method for developing a set of requirements for the design of manufacturing systems. The effectiveness of this method is evaluated through an analysis of the evolution of the manufacturing system design in the automotive electronic components industry.
 

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