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Chapter 12: Problem 4

What quality implications could setup time reduction have in a manufacturing line?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Reducing setup time in a manufacturing line can have several quality implications, including improved overall production efficiency, better product consistency, and increased responsiveness to production issues. However, it is essential to balance these benefits with potential risks, such as overlooking necessary checks or placing increased pressure on operators, which may affect product quality and safety.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the concept of setup time

Setup time refers to the period it takes to prepare a manufacturing line for production, including activities such as changing tools, adjusting machine settings, and loading materials. A reduction in setup time can yield benefits such as increased production output and minimizing downtime, but it's important to understand its impact on the quality of the products being produced.
02

Analyze the impact on overall production efficiency

Reducing setup time can improve overall production efficiency by minimizing the time spent on non-value-adding activities. By streamlining setup processes, you grant the manufacturing line more time for actual production, which can enhance the overall productivity and capacity of the production line, ultimately leading to improved quality.
03

Examine the effect on product consistency

Setup time reduction may enhance product quality consistency by standardizing the process and minimizing the variations that can occur during changeovers. Simplified, quicker setups can help maintain a stable production environment, which in turn helps to ensure that products are manufactured with a consistent level of quality.
04

Assess the responsiveness to production issues

By decreasing the setup time, the manufacturing line can be more agile and responsive to production issues that arise. This means that any problems or variations in product quality can be addressed more quickly, reducing the overall impact on output quality. In turn, this responsiveness can minimize the number of defective or low-quality products and maintain a high-quality output.
05

Weigh the potential drawbacks

Although reducing setup time can have positive implications on quality, it's also crucial to consider potential drawbacks. In the pursuit of quicker changeovers, some necessary checks and adjustments may be overlooked, which can introduce quality problems down the line. Additionally, rushing through setups may put more pressure on operators, which can lead to errors or accidents affecting product quality and safety. It's essential to balance the benefits of reduced setup time with potential risks, ensuring that quality consequences are properly managed and mitigated.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

How might improved internal quality make scheduling a production system easier?

Give three major ways that good internal quality can promote good external quality.

For each of the following examples, would you expect cost to increase or decrease with quality? Explain your reasoning. a. An automobile manufacturer increases expected battery life by installing more expensive batteries in new cars. b. A publisher reduces the number of errors in newly published books by assigning extra proofreaders. c. A steel rolling mill improves the consistency of its galvanizing process through installation of a more sophisticated monitoring system (i.e., that measures temperature, pH, etc., at various points in the chemical bath). d. A manufacturer of high-voltage switches eliminates quality inspection of metal castings after certifying the supplier from which they are purchased. e. An automobile manufacturer repairs an obvious defect (e.g., a defective paint job) after the warranty period has expired.

Why is it important to detect quality problems as early in the line as possible?

Using the following definition of the cost of quality Quality costs are defined as any expenditures on manufacturing or service in excess of Hose that would have been incurred if the product had been built or the service had been performed exactly right the first time. Garvin (1988,78) identify the costs associated with each of the following types of quality problems: a. A flow line with a single-product family where defects detected at any station are scrapped. b. A flow line with a single-product family where defects detected at any station are reworked through a portion of the line. c. A cutting machine where bit breakage destroys the part in production and brings the machine down for repair. d. Steel burners for a kitchen range that are coated with porcelain that cracks off after a small amount of use in the field. e. A minivan whose springs for holding open the hatchback are prone to failure. f. A cheap battery in new cars and light trucks that fails after about 18 months when the warranty period is 12 months.
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