| 1. |
- Salim, Roaa, 1990-
(författare)
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Exploring the content and process of automation decisions in manufacturing system development projects : A study in the Swedish wood products industry
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The wood industry has great potential to support the development of a more sustainable future based on a circular economy. For Sweden to be able to maintain its competitive position as a leading wood industry nation, products with increased added value are needed. To realize this development, new and efficient automated solutions supporting the manufacturing systems in place in the industry are essential. However, although automation of manufacturing can result in competitive advantages, this is far from always being the case. A number of researchers have convincingly argued that investments in automation of manufacturing are more likely to succeed if they are the expression of well-grounded decisions made during the design of a manufacturing system. It is further argued that such decisions need to be linked to a company’s manufacturing strategy. And yet despite this, automation decisions are often made ad hoc and based on gut feelings.The essential purpose of this thesis therefore is to support informed automation decisions in the context of manufacturing system development projects carried out in the wood products industry. To fulfill the purpose, multiple research studies have been conducted including literature reviews and case study method.This thesis contributes with increased knowledge on the content and process of automation decisions in manufacturing system development projects conducted in the wood products industry. Close study of automation decisions made during manufacturing system design from a manufacturing strategy perspective has produced a set of guiding suggestions. These include the identification of aspects that need consideration when automation decisions are being made during the design of manufacturing systems. Furthermore, through studying the process leading to automation decisions during manufacturing system design, potential pitfalls for the wood products industry are exemplified and tactics used to support decision-making related to automation are suggested. Last, this thesis extends the current understanding about manufacturing systems in the wood products industry by presenting the drivers and challenges for automation of manufacturing.
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| 2. |
- Hussmo, Daniel
(författare)
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Exploring boundary objects between product development and production
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The realization of products relies on the integrated outcomes of several functions, such as product development and production. However, problems can occur because not everyone shares the same knowledge, resulting in a need for knowledge integration. This becomes even more complex when there can be dependence on knowledge between functions, meaning that one’s knowledge has an impact on another’s. Because of this, different boundaries can arise that can prove problematic when integrating knowledge between product development and production. One way to integrate knowledge between these functions is through so-called boundary objects. Different engineering tools, such as prototypes and computer-aided designs, are often meant to function as boundary objects, but they may fail to do so because boundary objects are situational, meaning that they may function in one situation but not in another. The purpose of the thesis was therefore to explore how engineering tools can be used as boundary objects to integrate knowledge between product development and production in a product realization context. Based on an interactive research approach, case studies, workshops, and a systematic literature review were conducted to help fulfill the purpose. The result was a set of aspects that affect whether an engineering tool functions as a boundary object. These aspects were divided into two categories based on whether they pertained to the tool, referred to as properties, or to the situation in which it was used. The thesis further analyzed the role of interplay between these identified aspects, showing the interlinkage between aspects. Interplay was seen to play a complementing role, where aspects could play not only a supporting role to each other but also a negative role when the identified aspects were not managed correctly.
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| 3. |
- Vestin, Alexander
(författare)
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Supporting smart manufacturing in industrialized house building through product data management
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Industrialized house building (IHB) needs to improve efficiency and reduce costs to be able to meet the demand of future building requirements. The discrete manufacturing industry has already begun its transformation with concepts such as Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. The focus of these concepts is on systems integration and utilizing different design principles and technologies to improve productivity and competitiveness. So far, smart manufacturing has not been discussed to any significant extent in the context of the IHB industry, even though it might be a way for this industry to improve efficiency and reduce costs.The purpose of this thesis is to support smart manufacturing realization in the IHB industry through improved systems integration capability. The objective is to develop a support system that helps to mitigate current product data management challenges in the IHB industry. The research presented here followed the design research methodology (DRM), and three research studies were conducted within the IHB industry, specifically within the context of the wooden single-family house industry.The findings emphasized that integrated information and communication technology (ICT) tools are a precondition for realizing smart manufacturing in IHB. A pilot product lifecycle management (PLM) system was developed as a support system to mitigate the challenges encountered in product data management. The support system was developed based on five requirements (integrate product data between ICT tools, extract product data to purchasing items, adaptable to the product realization process, organize product data in different views, and trace revisions on building information modeling (BIM) projects and BIM families) and six functions (extract and interpret product data from the BIM project, property mapping, revision management, different types of document structures, from document structure to item structure, and complete bill of materials). The pilot PLM system was perceived to have value and could, for the case company, mitigate their challenges with product data management and facilitate improved systems integration. Furthermore, 18 enablers for PLM implementation in IHB were identified and categorized into implementing organization, PLM implementation process, PLM system selection and development, and development of product data for PLM.
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| 4. |
- Wlazlak, Paraskeva
(författare)
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Management of the industrialisation process in distributed geographical and organisational contexts
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Management of new product development (NPD) is one of the most critical capabilities of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The industrialisation process plays a major role in NPD, where the final verification of the product and production system takes place. It is during the industrialisation process that various disturbances arise; if these are not managed, they can delay the production start and prolong production ramp up.Based on two dimensions, geographical and organisational distribution, the following four different types of contexts are defined in this thesis: industrialisation in the local and intra-organisational context (type 1), industrialisation in the local and inter-organisational context (type 2), industrialisation in the international and intra-organisational context (type 3) and industrialisation in international and inter-organisational context (type 4). This thesis addresses types 2–4 and contributes to the literature, which has primarily dealt with the type 1 context. The purpose of the research presented in the thesis is expanding the knowledge on the industrialisation process in distributed geographical and/or organisational contexts with a focus on challenges and mechanisms; this will serve to control the challenges during the industrialisation process.The findings are based on data from three studies in the manufacturing industry, covering both single and multiple case studies. They reveal that there are some similarities between the type 2–4 contexts and challenges and mechanisms previously identified for the type 1 context. However, several unique challenges and mechanisms are found for the type 2–4 contexts. The findings also show that the challenges can be characterised as internal and external. Internal challenges appear in a single industrialisation site and are associated with internal organisational capabilities at the site. External challenges originate from the research and development (R&D) site and the integration between the R&D and industrialisation sites.The findings also reveal that the identified challenges disrupt the industrialisation process in various ways and create uncertainty and equivocality during the industrialisation process. The studies presented in this thesis show that, to deal with challenges that create uncertainty and equivocality, it is wise to allow ad hoc mechanisms to be used. One of the key conclusions is that when the industrialisation processes are carried out in type 2–4 contexts, there is a need to allow for flexibility regarding the use of mechanisms depending on the dynamics associated with the specific context.
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| 5. |
- Alayón, Claudia
(författare)
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Exploring sustainable manufacturing principles and practices
- 2016
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The manufacturing industry remains a critical force in the quest for global sustainability. An increasing number of companies are modifying their operations in favor of more sustainable practices. It is hugely important that manufacturers, irrespective of the subsector they belong to, or their organizational size, implement practices that reduce or eliminate negative environmental, social and economic impacts generated by their manufacturing operations.Consequently, scholars have called for additional studies concerning sustainable manufacturing practices, not only to address the paucity of related literature, but also to contribute to practitioners’ understanding of how to incorporate sustainability into their operations. However, apart from expanding the knowledge of sustainable manufacturing practices, it is first key to understand the ground set of values, or principles, behind sustainable manufacturing operations. For that reason, the purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge regarding sustainable manufacturing principles and practices.The results presented in this thesis are based on three studies: a systematic literature review exploring sustainability principles applicable to manufacturing settings, and two empirical studies addressing sustainable manufacturing practices.In general, it is concluded from the literature that there is a little knowledge about sustainability principles from a manufacturing perspective. In relation to the most common sustainable manufacturing practices, it is concluded that these practices mainly refer to energy and material management, and waste management. Similarly, the study of the adherence of sustainable manufacturing practices to sustainable production principles concluded that the principles concerning energy and materials conservation, and waste management were found to create the highest number of practices. Although most manufacturers still engage in reactive sustainable manufacturing practices driven by regulatory and market pressures, some industrial sectors were found to be more prone to develop proactive sustainable manufacturing strategies than others. Furthermore, SMEs were found to lag behind large organizations regarding adherence to sustainable manufacturing principles.
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| 6. |
- Salim, Roaa, 1990-
(författare)
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Exploring aspects of automation decisions : A study in the Swedish wood products industry
- 2017
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The wood products industry is important to Sweden's prosperity, and is currently facing several challenges by increased global competition. To avoid the gradual decline of the industry’s contribution to the country’s revenues and employment opportunities, the Swedish wood products industry needs to increase the proportion of the raw material that is refined. New and efficient manufacturing technologies are essential to support this development. The implementation of automation in manufacturing needs to be supported by conscious and well-defined strategies. However, currently, there is a lack of knowledge regarding automation decisions in this industry. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to increase knowledge regarding which aspects should be taken into account when automation decisions are considered in the wood products industry. Three research questions are addressed: (1) What is the current state of manufacturing operations in the wood products industry? (2) What are the potential opportunities for automation in the wood products industry? And (3) What challenges can arise from automation in the wood products industry?The results presented in this thesis are based on four research papers. The first paper provides an overview of the current state of manufacturing operations in the wood products industry. The second paper examined the impact of the raw material on manufacturing operations in the wood products industry. The third paper assessed how the levels of automation in manufacturing impact operational performance. The fourth paper examined automation opportunities and challenges to gain a better understanding of the reasoning behind automation decisions in the industry.In general, it is concluded that automation decisions in the wood products industry tend to be based on “gut feeling” and previous experience with automation rather than well-defined decisions and strategies. This is due to inadequate knowledge and familiarity with automation technologies in manufacturing. Furthermore, the findings showed that different aspects of manufacturing interact and impact each other. For this reason, it is essential to take into account other aspects of manufacturing when considering automation decisions.
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| 7. |
- Vestin, Alexander
(författare)
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Smart manufacturing for the wooden single-family house industry
- 2020
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To meet the demand of future building requirements, and to improve productivity and competitiveness, there is a need to modernize and revise the current practices in the wooden single-family house industry. In several other sectors, intensive work is being done to adapt to the anticipated fourth industrial revolution. The manufacturing industry has already begun its transformation with concepts such as smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0. So far, smart manufacturing has not been discussed to any significant extent for the wooden single-family house industry, even though it might be a way for this industry to improve productivity and competitiveness.The research presented in this thesis aims at increased knowledge about what smart manufacturing means for the wooden single-family house industry. This requires investigating what smart wooden house manufacturingis, what challenges that might be associated with it, and how smart wooden house manufacturing can be realized. At the core of this thesis is the conceptualization of smart wooden house manufacturing—when realized, it is expected to contribute to improve the competitiveness of the wooden single family house industry.The findings presented here are based on three Research Studies. Two studies were case studies within the wooden single-family house industry. The third study was a traditional literature review.The findings revealed two definitions and 26 components of smart wooden house manufacturing. At large, smart wooden house manufacturing emphasizes digital transformation with a focus on digital information flow, how to add information, information compilation, and information distribution between systems/programs and departments. Some of the challenges associated with smart wooden house manufacturing are, e.g. culture, competence and manual transfer of information between systems.The findings indicate similarities of smart wooden house manufacturing within certain components of industrialized house building and Industry 4.0, these components could enable the realization of smart wooden house manufacturing.
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| 8. |
- Bäckstrand, Jenny, 1979-
(författare)
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Levels of Interaction in Supply Chain Relations
- 2007
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To be able to retain the manufacturing industry durably, in Europe in general and in Sweden in specific, manufacturing companies have to be competitive also on the global market. One way for companies to realize this ambition is to interact with suppliers and customers in different kinds of supply chains. In the dyadic relation between two companies, three different levels of interaction have been identified. To be able to enhance the competitiveness instead of requiring excess workload, the level of interaction has to be adequate for the specific company and their market conditions. The aim of this thesis is to clarify the characteristics of supply chain interaction, both in terms of different levels of interaction and concerning the factors affecting the appropriate level of interaction. A basic prerequisite to enable companies to select an appropriate level of interaction within their supply chain is also to clarify the present use of terminology. This research is conducted through theoretical studies. The theoretical findings are synthesized in order to fulfill the research objective. Characteristics of supply chain interaction in terms of affecting categories and factors are identified. The factors are sorted according to the category they support. An interaction framework that can be used to gain an overview over the categories and factors affecting the level of interaction in a specific situation is developed. The resulting interaction framework is aiming at industry applicability but is based only on theoretical studies (which in turn are based on empirical data). The aim is to support the interaction level decision for, primarily, small and medium sized manufacturing companies in order to increase their competitiveness. Despite the amount of research within the supply chain area, the question how companies should select the way to interact within their supply chain has so far been left unanswered. In this thesis, a number of categories and factors that affects the appropriate level of interaction are identified and listed.
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| 9. |
- Rösiö, Carin
(författare)
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Supporting the Design of Reconfigurable Production Systems
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To compete, manufacturing companies need production systems that quickly can respond to changes. To handle change drivers such as volume variations or new product variants, reconfigurability is advocated as a competitive means. This implies an ability to add, remove, and/or rearrange the structure of the production system to be ready for future changes. Still, it is not clear how the production system design process can capture and support the design of reconfigurable production systems. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to increase the knowledge of how to support the design of reconfigurable production systems.Reconfigurability could be defined by a number of reconfigurability characteristics including convertibility, scalability, automatibility, mobility, modularity, integrability, and diagnosability. In eight case studies, reconfigurability characteristics in production system design were studied in order to investigate reconfigurability needs, knowledge, and practice in manufacturing companies. In three of the case studies reconfigurable production systems were studied to identify the links between change drivers and reconfigurability characteristics. In the remaining five case studies, reconfigurability in the production system design processes was addressed in terms of needs, prerequisites, and consideration.Based on the literature review and the case studies, support for reconfigurable production system design is suggested including two parts. The first part comprises support for analyzing the need for reconfigurability. Based on relevant change drivers the need for reconfigurability must be identified to enable selection of right type and degree of reconfigurability for each specific case of application. A comprehensive view of the reconfigurability characteristics is presented and links between change drivers and reconfigurability characteristics are described. The characteristics are divided into critical characteristics, that lead to a capacity or functionality change of the production system, and supporting characteristics, that reduce system reconfiguration time but do not necessarily lead to a modification of functionality or capacity of the production system. The second part provides support in how to consider reconfigurability in the production system design process. A holistic perspective is crucial to design reconfigurable production systems and therefore constituent parts of a production system are described. According to their character physical, logical, and human reconfiguration must be considered through the whole production system design process.
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| 10. |
- Säfsten, Kristina, 1964-
(författare)
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Evaluation of assembly systems : an exploratory study of evaluation situations
- 2002
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Evaluation is considered as one of several activities necessary to master in the competitive environment that manufacturing companies experience today. The specific situation addressed in this dissertation is evaluation during development of assembly systems. The role of evaluation varies and an enhanced understanding of different evaluation situations is required. Evaluation has not yet become an explicit part of the activities aimed at suitable assembly systems. Despite the large numbers of evaluations carried out in other areas, experiences thereof have not yet been applied in the evaluation of assembly systems. The objective of the research was to explore different evaluation situations in order to elucidate the circumstances under which evaluation can be supportive, and how evaluation can be facilitated, during development of assembly systems. The empirical material was collected during studies of 11 manufacturing companies in Sweden. The research design involved an interview study and three case studies. During the empirical studies, different evaluation situations were explored and circumstances affecting evaluation were sought.The analysis, which takes its starting point in assembly system development from a decision process perspective, revealed circumstances associated with the different decision processes affecting evaluation. Moreover, three identified system design approaches were found useful for understanding the different evaluation situations. The identified circumstances affecting evaluation were found to be related to the assembly system as such, i.e. the evaluation object, or to the development process, i.e. the activities carried out where the evaluations were escribed. As a result of the empirical studies and the theoretical considerations, a framework evolved during the research. The Assembly System Evaluation Framework is a heuristic tool, aimed at facilitating understanding of the circumstances under which evaluation is carried out during the development of assembly systems. The framework involves three evaluation situations: evaluation of existing assembly systems, evaluation of different alternatives, and finally evaluation of an implemented system. Supported by the framework, the characteristics of the evaluation situations are elucidated. Different obstacles and enablers affecting the evaluation situations are discussed, and the possibility of facilitating evaluation through the application of different evaluation models and explicit considerations to evaluation is pointed out.
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