Manufacturing systems engineering is concerned with the design and on-going operation and enhancement of the integrated elements within a manufacturing system, which is a very complex activity, even for simple products. The art of manufacturing systems engineering is essentially designing systems that can cope with that complexity effectively.

The aim of this unit is to develop students’ understanding of that complexity within a modern manufacturing environment. Among the topics covered in this unit are: elements that make up a manufacturing system, including production engineering, plant and maintenance engineering, product design, logistics, production planning and control, forecast quality assurance, accounting and purchasing, all of which work together within the manufacturing system to create products that meet customer's requirements.

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to explain the principles of a manufacturing system and consider how to design improvements. They will be introduced to all the elements that make up a modern manufacturing system, and they will learn how to optimise the operation of existing systems through discerning use of monitoring data. Some of the elements will be developed in greater depth; of particular importance will be looking at the systems of production planning and control, which are the day-to-day tools used to manage the manufacturing system effectively.

Manufacturing systems elements:
Elements to be considered include quality, cost, delivery performance and optimising output
Problem-solving and managing complexity, maintenance scheduling and planning, resource planning and productivity
Effect of testing and data analysis on performance

Analysis tools:
Introduction to value stream mapping, and the value of both current state mapping and future state mapping
Bottle-neck analysis, by using process improvement tools and techniques e.g. value stream analysis, simulation, kanban
Using key performance indicators to understand the performance of a manufacturing system e.g. overall equipment effectiveness, lead-time, cycle time, waiting time, yield, delivery performance, safety metrics
Reviewing key performance indicators; methods for presenting metrics and performance e.g. balanced scorecards, performance dashboards, Andon boards, Gemba walks

Production planning approaches:
Examples of production planning strategy: push vs pull factors, kanban systems, make to stock, make to order and engineer to order
Production planning approaches such as batch and queue, pull/kanban, just-in time, modular design, configuration at the final point, and master scheduling

Production planning management tools:
Enterprise Resource Mapping (ERP) systems, Material Resource Planning (MRP 2) and Manufacturing Execution systems, ability to managing complexity and resourcing through information technology
Industrial engineering issues: the importance of standard times and the impact on productivity and the costing of products. Standard work underpins the repeatability of process and quality control

Effectiveness of manufacturing systems:
Plant layout design, planning and control, productivity and continuous improvement, quality control and equipment effectiveness
Return on investment and capital expenditure, control of the cost of plan maintenance
Manufacturing information technology: the supply of data from the process to decision-makers e.g. failure modes for both product and system, maintenance and down time data, standard times for production, material control, energy usage.

A 2000-word group case study and report assessing learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3 weighted at 75%.

A 1000-word individual reflection assessing learning outcome 4, weighted at 25%.

Whole group lectures will be used to deliver new material and to consolidate previous material. Small-group tutorials, with activities designed to enhance the understanding of the material delivered in the lectures, will be used to apply the skills and knowledge learned. A mixture of classroom based and practical activities will take place supported by staff.

Illustrate the principles of manufacturing systems engineering and explain their relevance to the design and enhancement of manufacturing systems.

Use a range of analysis tools, including value stream mapping, to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of a manufacturing system, and then develop an appropriate future state for that system.

Outline the impact of different production planning approaches on the effectiveness of a manufacturing system.

Define the responsibilities of manufacturing systems engineering and review how they enable successful organisations to remain competitive.

PCs with CAD software, Industry 4.0 Equipment, maintenance test rig

BICHENO, J. and HOLWEG, M. (2009) The Lean Toolbox. 4th Ed. PICSIE Books.
CHOPRA, S. and MEINDL, P. (2015) Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation (Global Edition). 6th Ed. Pearson.
SLACK, N. (2013) Operations Management. 7th Ed. Pearson.
WOMACK, J., JONES, D. and ROOS, D. (1990) The Machine That Changed the World. Free Press.

http://www.industryweek.com/ Industry Week Five Benefits of an MES (Article)

Must be registered on HNC/D Mechanical Engineering provision at South Staffordshire College.

Manufacturing systems engineering is concerned with the design and on-going operation and enhancement of the integrated elements within a manufacturing system, which is a very complex activity, even for simple products. The art of manufacturing systems engineering is essentially designing systems that can cope with that complexity effectively.

The aim of this unit is to develop your understanding of that complexity within a modern manufacturing environment. Among the topics covered in this unit are: elements that make up a manufacturing system, including production engineering, plant and maintenance engineering, product design, logistics, production planning and control, forecast quality assurance, accounting and purchasing, all of which work together within the manufacturing system to create products that meet customers’ requirements.

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to explain the principles of a manufacturing system and consider how to design improvements. You will be introduced to all the elements that make up a modern manufacturing system, and you will learn how to optimise the operation of existing systems through discerning use of monitoring data. Some of the elements will be developed in greater depth; of particular importance will be looking at the systems of production planning and control, which are the day-to-day tools used to manage the manufacturing system effectively.