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Computer aided tool management system : an implementation model. SHAFAGHI, Mohammad Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/3186/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/3186/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. 6 KW 301307 Sheffield Hallam University REFERENCE ONLY ProQuest Number: 10700994 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 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Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 COMPUTER AIDED TOOL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AN IMPLEMENTATION MODEL Mohammad Shafaghi A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY May 1994 ABSTRACT COMPUTER AIDED TOOL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; AN IMPLEMENTATION MODEL by Mohammad Shafaghi In recent years considerable attention has been diverted towards devising new strategies to deal with the competitive nature of manufacturing environments. Such strategies are often influenced by the costs and quality of the manufactured products. An effective tool management and control system can significantly contribute to the efficiency of manufacturing facilities by maintaining the flow of production, reducing manufacturing costs, and be instrumental to the quality of finished goods. Most companies however, have consistently overlooked the importance of tooling and its impact on the efficiency of their manufacturing facilities, consequently it has become a major production bottleneck. Hence, the need for uncovering the nature, extent, and underlying causes of tooling problems. Having recognised the importance of a Computer Aided Tool Management And Control Systems (CATMACS) as a partial solution to the efficient management of tooling resources, the study then looks at the implementation of CATMACS in fourteen manufacturing companies in the UK, developing some 40 propositions. Based on the developed propositions, a framework for the implementation methodology is constructed. The framework consists of five phases; Tool audit, Strategy, Design, Action, and Review. The framework has been evaluated and the inputs and outputs to the phases have been identified. The framework represents a significant step in understanding of CATMACS implementation, in particular: • It addresses the need for such system. • It provides the basis of an implementation toolkit. • It provides guidance for the best way of implementing a CATMACS. • It is constructed using hard data. I PREFACE This thesis is submitted to the School of Engineering of Sheffield Hallam University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This study was conducted in the division of Design and Manufacturing of School of Engineering. I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to my supervisors Dr. D.T.S. Perera (School of Engineering), and Professor D. Tranfield (Sheffield Business School) for their guidance and constructive criticism throughout the course of this study. I would like to thank my friends; especially Christine Osbourne and James Battersby for their help and support. Also my colleagues and administrative staff within the School of Engineering, and the Research Office for their help and support. Finally, I like to thank those individuals from companies who participated in this study. The results obtained during the course of this research are to the best of my knowledge original, except where the reference is made to the work of others. M. Shafaghi May 1994 H Process of PhD The structure of the PhD thesis is illustrated in Figure 1. The chapters are represented by rectangular boxes, where, the chapter under review is highlighted by the thick arrow pointing to the right or top of the boxes. For example in figure 1, "General Overview" is the topic under discussion. Chapter One General Overview Chapter Two Literature Search Chapter Three Methodology Chapter Four Chapter Five Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Chapter Six Outcomes and Propositions Chapter Seven Conceptual Model Chapter Eight Conclusion Fig 1: Process of PhD CONTENT ABSTRACT I PREFACE II Process of PhD III 1 TOOL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; GENERAL OVERVIEW 1.1 Manufacturing and Tooling 1 1.2 Evolution of Tool Management System 2 1.3 Tooling Problems 2 1.4 Computer Aided Tool Management And 4 Contro1 System (CATMACS) 1.5 Focus of the Research 5 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Tooling Problems 8 2.3 Tool Management Systems 12 2.4 Computer Aided Tool Management And 14 Control System (CATMACS) 2.5 Tool Management Software 16 2.6 Implementation of Computerised Tool 21 Management System 2.7 Tool Management Research 27 2.8 The scope of the research 2 9 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction 34 3.2 Research Methodology 34 3.3 Case study 3 5 3.4 Questionnaire 3 6 3.5 The Research Process 3 8 3.6 Qualitative vs Quantitative 41 4 QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH 4.1 Introduction 47 4.2 Research Design 47 4.3 Questionnaire design 49 4.4 Pretesting the Questionnaire 50 4.5 Sample Classification and Profile 50 4.6 Survey Results 54 4.7 Types of Perceived Tooling problems 63 4.7.1 High Tool Variety 63 4.7.2 Tool Unavailability 64 4.7.3 Cost of Tooling 64 4.7.4 Tool Tracking and Control 65 4.7.5 High Tool Inventory 66 4.7.6 Lack of Tool Refurbishment Services 6 6 A 4.8 In-company Interviews 67 4.8.1 Lack of Understanding of Concept of 67 Tool Management 4.8.2 Lack of tooling Strategy 68 4.8.3 Lack of Prioritisation 68 4.8.4 The Degree of Awareness 68 4.9 Summary 69 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 5.1 Introduction 74 5.2 Case Selection 74 5.3 Research Design 75 5.4 Case Analysis 76 5.5 Case Studies 78 5.6 Summary 125 5.6.1 Sample Classification and Profile 126 OUTCOMES and PROPOSITIONS 6.1 Introduction 131 6.2 Case Study Outcome 131 6.2.1 Company Position 131 6.2.2 Tool Audit 133 6.2.3 Investment Justification 133 6.2.4 Tool Management Software 134 6.2.5 The Change Process 136 6.2.6 Implementation Plan 137 6.2.7 Project Leader 139 6.2.8 Management Commitment 141 6.2.9 Education and Training 143 6.2.10 System Changeover 145 6.2.11 System Benefits 147 6.2.12 Evaluation 149 6.2.13 Critical Factors 153 6.3 Propositions 156 6.3.1 Company Position 156 6.3.2 Tool Audit 157 6.3.3 System Justification 158 6.3.4 Tool Management Software 159 6.3.5 The Change Process 160 6.3.6 Implementation Plan 161 6.3.7 Champion 163 6.3.8 Management commitment 164 6.3.9 Education and Training 165 6.3.10 System Changeover 167 6.3.11 System Benefits 168 6.3.12 Evaluation 168 6.3.13 Critical Factors 169 7 DEVELOPMENT OF FRAMEWORK 7.1 Introduction 171 7.2 Initial Framework 171 7.3 Phase 1:- Strategy 177 7.4 Phase 2:- Tool Audit 180 7.5 Phase 3:- Design 191 7.6 Phase 4:- Action 197 7.7 Phase 5:- Review 201 7.8 Validation 203 8 CONCLUSIONS 8.1 Quantitative Results 207 8.2 Qualitative Research 210 8.3 Qualitative Results 211 8.4 CATMACS Methodology 214 8.5 Further Research 221 REFERENCES 223 APPENDIX 1 Questionnaire and Covering Letter A-l APPENDIX 2 Company Information A-8 APPENDIX 3 Questionnaire, Covering Letter, and A-13 relevant notes for the Validation of the Model. APPENDIX 4 List of Tables and Figures A-22 APPENDIX 5 Paper Submitted A-25 CHAPTER ONE TOOL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS; General Overview, 1.1- Manufacturing and Tooling A manufacturing company can be viewed as a system which transforms raw materials into finished products through the use of manufacturing resources. The manufacturing resources are crucial aspects in this process and can be considered to be anything that is required to produce the final product. As a manufacturing resource, tooling is a fundamental aspect of this transformation process, and it is an inescapable fact of manufacturing life that every manufactured product is built using a tool or by a machine that was made using tools. Broom (1967) defined tooling as all equipment and special fixtures that the system can draw on and use during the setup and operation of a machine or assembly process. Allen et al (1980) expanded this definition to cover a wide range of equipment such as jigs, fixtures, pallets, cutting tools, rollers, brushes, tool holders, laps, chucks, mandrels, collets, centres, arbors, set-blocks, angle plates, templates, molds, cams, dies, tool magazines and patterns to name a few, and Melnyk (1988) categorised these various items to "Transportation Tooling", equipment used for transferring parts from one work station/area to another; "Set-up Tooling", equipment used primarily during the set-up, and "Production Tooling", equipment used at work centres in the production of given parts.