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Applying Modern Manufacturing Processes to
Engineering Prototypes
Clint McCann, P.E.
Overview
This course examines
modern production and operations management tools and compares them to the
processes required to produce engineering prototypes. The goal is to identify
which of these tools are best suited for use in improving the prototype assembly
process. Corporations have invested heavily in modernizing their manufacturing
operations to achieve world-class performance. While traveling along the road
to excellence, they have amassed a wide array of tools and techniques for
squeezing every bit of value from their operations. Much has been written in
recent years about how companies can maximize their manufacturing capabilities,
yet the early engineering prototype stage of the product lifecycle has gone
largely unattended. The purpose of this course is to compare prototype
development and production with modern production and operations management to
determine if tools that have become so commonplace in factories around the world
can be successfully applied to the earlier stages of a product’s life.
The course begins with a
brief examination of modern manufacturing theory and then proceeds to the
development of tools that have led companies to their current levels of
success. Each new tool is introduced with sufficient detail to enable the
reader to comprehend its place and importance in modern production
operations. These same tools are then examined in light of their applicability
to the special requirements of engineering prototyping operations to see
if they can be successfully applied in that realm. As would be expected, some
of the tools offer much to improve prototype operations while others have less
to offer. Each is presented objectively to allow students to determine
applicability to processes in their own fields of endeavor.
This course is recommended
for engineers involved with the development, production, testing, or evaluation
of engineering prototypes. Although written with manufacturing companies
specifically in mind, the principles taught herein may also be applied to the
companies which develop prototype products or services other than manufactured
items.
The student must take a
multiple-choice quiz consisting of fifteen (15) questions at the end of this course to earn PDH credits.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and
skills related to engineering prototype operations:
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Historical background for the development of
modern manufacturing processes.
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Comparison of full-scale production manufacturing
processes and prototype processes.
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A review of twelve of the most influential
manufacturing process improvement methodologies and tools.
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Application of the tools to the production of
engineering prototypes.
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Examples of how the tools can be applied to the
prototype stage of new product introduction.
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A quick reference review of the methodologies and
their key elements
Course
Click on the following PDF attachment
and review the course Applying Modern Manufacturing Processes to Engineering
Prototypes prior to taking a quiz for credit.
Applying Modern Manufacturing Processes to Engineering Prototypes (216 KB)
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