For each of the following situations, indicate whether you would be inclined to use CONWIP \((C),\) kanban \((K), P F B(P),\) or an individual system (1) for shop floor control. a. A flow line with a single-product family. b. A paced assembly line fed from inventory storage. c. A steel mill where casters feed hot strip mills (with slab storage in between), which feed cold rolling mills (with coil storage in between). d. A plant with several routings sharing some resources with significant setup times, and all routings are steadily loaded over time. A plant with many routings sharing some resources but where some routings are sporadically used.

Short Answer

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Based on the given step-by-step solution, the most appropriate shop floor control systems for each situation are: a. A flow line with a single-product family: CONWIP (C) b. A paced assembly line fed from inventory storage: Kanban (K) c. A steel mill where casters feed hot strip mills (with slab storage in between), which feed cold rolling mills (with coil storage in between): P F B (P) d. A plant with several routings sharing some resources with significant setup times, and all routings are steadily loaded over time: Individual system (1) e. A plant with many routings sharing some resources but where some routings are sporadically used: P F B (P)

Step by step solution

01

Identify production situation.

In this case, we have a flow line with only one product family, which means that the production process is simple and streamlined.
02

Choose appropriate shop floor control system.

For this situation, a CONWIP \((C)\) system would be suitable, as it is designed to control the work-in-process on a flow line with few product variations, maintain steady production flow, and minimize the amount of work-in-process inventory. #b. A paced assembly line fed from inventory storage.#
03

Identify production situation.

In this scenario, the assembly line is paced and relies on inventory storage, suggesting a more complex production system and a need to constantly replenish materials on the line.
04

Choose appropriate shop floor control system.

For a paced assembly line, a kanban \((K)\) system would be ideal. It effectively manages the replenishment of materials from inventory storage, keeping the assembly line moving efficiently. #c. A steel mill where casters feed hot strip mills (with slab storage in between), which feed cold rolling mills (with coil storage in between).#
05

Identify production situation.

In this case, a steel mill has a hierarchical production structure with storage between the various stages of the process. This scenario requires coordination between different production stages and storage areas.
06

Choose appropriate shop floor control system.

For this situation, the P F B \((P)\) system would be appropriate, as it can cope with multiple interconnected processes and storage areas while ensuring that resources are efficiently allocated and production runs smoothly. #d. A plant with several routings sharing some resources with significant setup times, and all routings are steadily loaded over time.#
07

Identify production situation.

This scenario involves a plant with a complex production process that has multiple routings sharing resources with significant setup times. The routings also have consistent demands over time.
08

Choose appropriate shop floor control system.

In this case, an individual system \((1)\) would be the most suitable choice. This is because of the complexity of the routings, the shared resources, and the significant setup times. An individual system can be tailored for the specific needs of the plant and its production processes. #e. A plant with many routings sharing some resources but where some routings are sporadically used.#
09

Identify production situation.

Here, the production process has multiple routings sharing resources, but some routings are not continuously in operation. This plant has a variable demand on certain resources due to the sporadic use of routings.
10

Choose appropriate shop floor control system.

For this scenario, the P F B \((P)\) system is the best choice. The system can handle multiple routings sharing resources and provides the flexibility to manage the sporadic use of routings. It ensures an efficient and effective use of production resources.

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