Tópicos em Engenharia da Produção

Objectives

The Curricular Unit will enable students to analyze the dynamics of manufacturing systems in order to understand the production process and improve production efficiency. The course provides practical knowledge and skills that can be applied in industry, covering the manufacturing system from production design and planning to quality control. As specific objectives, it is considered that students should, at the end of the course understand, acquire problem solving skills and make decisions involving: • The competitive dimensions of industrial businesses and manufacturing strategies in the global competitive environment. • The complex and dynamic behavior of manufacturing systems in terms of material flow and storage, information flow, capacities, and times and durations of events. • The effect of uncertainty on the dynamic behaviour of manufaturing systems and their performance.

Syllabus

Dimensions of industrial competitiveness and their evolution logics. Critical review on why traditional operations management approaches (inventory control, material requirements planning and just-in-time) are short for the future needs. Key basic performance measures of manufacturing systems (e.g., throughput, inventory, and cycle time), Different types and causes of variability. The effect of variability on performance. The effect of process time variability and proactive and reactive outages on performance. Discussion of preventive vs corrective maintenance and non-quality and rework cycles vs zero defects. How to deal with variability (demand, manufacturing, suppliers) “Buffering” variability. Lean principles and lean tools as a way to reduce “bad” variability. People as a critical element in the manufacturing system. Different views of quality. Total Quality Management as a way to reduce “bad” variability. Statistical quality control. Emphasis on statistical process control.

Cross Competence Component

The project that can be carried out within the scope of the UC includes the following transversal skills: critical and innovative thinking, decision- making, teamwork, oral communication, use of computer and multimedia tools and ability to locate and access information, as well as to analyze and evaluate media content. These skills will be assessed as part of the project and contribute to 20% of the project score.

Ethical Principles

All member of a group are responsible for the group’s work. In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used. In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.