Browsing by Author "Ferreira, Luís Pinto"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 47
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Analysis and improvement of internal logistic flows at an industrial companyPublication . Baptista, S.; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís PintoUndertaken at Preh Portugal, Ltd., the main objective of this study project resided in defining the system of supply to a new assembly line, the Ford B479. Supply to the assembly lines is a crucial activity in internal logistics since the entire production system relies on the supply of materials required for the line. It is, therefore, extremely important to study solutions which will facilitate these activities, thus enhancing productivity and guaranteeing the on-time availability of products, in suitable quantities and at the best cost. The initial phase consisted of studying the type of supply system used by the company for the remaining lines, as well as gaining a detailed understanding of the entire assembly line production process. One was then able to create a database to include all of this information. Once all the required information had been gathered, one proceeded to define the supermarket for the Ford B479 line, and calculated the number of positions required. With the purpose of building a more effective and efficient supermarket, one analyzed the possibility of building the supermarket next to line instead of resorting to the existing solution where the shelves for all lines are in the same location. When the site for the supermarket was defined, one proceeded with its construction and determined the supply system of both the supermarket as well as the line sides. Due to the proposed changes, one was able to reduce the distance covered by raw materials by 55% as well as to decrease handling.
- Analysis and Improvement of the Packaging Sector of an Industrial CompanyPublication . Alves, Diogo; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Sá, José Carlos; Silva, Francisco J. G.; Fernandes, N.O.Manual operations in manufacturing companies are still a common practice. This often results in high costs, high cycle times and therefore in lower productivity, particularly for companies operating in western countries. This is why many manufacturing companies relocated their production facilities in low age countries. This study was developed at a leading Portuguese material construction manufacturing company. The objective was to improve the packaging and labeling processes, that were identified as main bottlenecks in the factory. Lean was used to streamline these processes before being automated. This allowed for annual savings of 12432 €, with human operators being reallocated to other departments where they are more useful. Furthermore, cycle times were reduced by 42,9%, non-value-added activities were minimized, and operations with potentially high ergonomic risks were eliminated. In addition, a reduction of 84,3% in lithographed packaging was achieved, with a cost reduction of around 36 000 €/year, which is expected to continue in the forthcoming years.
- Analysis and optimisation of a logistic warehouse in the automotive industryPublication . Caridade, R.; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Silva, F.J.G.The automotive industry is one of the most competitive sectors, in which rigour, flexibility, quality and agility constitute the critical factors of success. Warehouse activities and their associated costs play a vital role in logistic functions. Their optimisation and performance assessment may result in substantial value gains for the company. This study was developed at Continental Mabor, with the purpose of developing a proposal to restructure and optimise the company’s warehouse. An analysis of the existing warehouse was carried out and the respective proposals were subsequently presented. The main goal of these proposals was to improve the efficiency of warehouse functions, reduce stock quantities and enhance the capacity to meet customer’s demand. A warehouse management system (WMS) was installed and a suitable bin management solution was defined. This system consisted of a basic WMS to support stock inventory and its location. In addition, this system envisaged warehouse performance and included elements such as the inventory management Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and warehouse productivity.
- Analysis Of An Order Fulfilment Process At A Metalwork Company Using Different Lean MethodologiesPublication . Dias, José António; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Gonçalves, Maria A.; Silva, F.J.G.; Ares, EnriqueThis article presents the analysis of a process by using four distinct approaches, each of them recurring to different Lean tools in order to get a detailed and multidimensional overview of the process. The primary objective of this study was to identify activities which add value in the order fulfilment process of a metalwork company. In this context, one also addressed issues such as waste, problems and their causes, in order to define intervention priorities and select actions capable to enhance the performance and efficiency of the process. The secondary objective was to evaluate and compare the results of the analysis made through different mapping techniques. From this study results the proposal of a tool to identify perceived micro-inefficiencies, as well as the impact of these on the production sub-process. Designated as Perceived Waste Mapping (PWM), this method allowed one to estimate that the ratio between the value-added hours and the total number of work hours at the company will be approximately 30%, far from the figure of 84% registered in the existing time and production records.
- Applying SMED methodology in cork stoppers productionPublication . Sousa, E.; Silva, F.J.G.; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Gouveia, R.; Silva, R.P.Organizations are increasingly required to have a high level of quality and flexibility in production. In order to remain in the market and become competitive, the working methods practiced must be reliable and efficient. The present project sought the improvement of an equipment of the cork industry by introducing a variation, through the application of Lean methods. The equipment under study performs the union of a cork stopper to a capsule, which is done by gluing it with hot-melt glue. The amount of production makes the changeover activity a regular process. The method followed in this work was the study and collection of information on the Lean production philosophy and its application in the cork industry. The working conditions of the assembly machine were also analyzed in order to find opportunities for improvement. Thus, the tool used was the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) technique in order to acknowledge the processes that really add value to the product. The SMED (Single Minute of Exchange of Die) methodology was applied in a way to reduce the downtime caused by tool changes, and a reduction of 43% in total changeover time was obtained. It was also created an A3 model to monitor the entire development of the SMED project, Finally, the OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) calculation was implemented as an indicator of overall equipment efficiency, in order to improve the monitoring of possible deviations during production. The feedback also proves that lean tools are a powerful method to get solid returns without large investments.
- A codification system roadmap: case study in a metalworking companyPublication . Lemos, Carlos; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Silva, F.J.G.Decision-making and control of operational areas in industrial companies are key issues in their sustainability and resilience in markets that are more and more challenging and competitive. In this way, production management and information management software are becoming mandatory. The codification of information, namely products codification, is a subject, without being the main purpose in everyday companies’ work, must be a subject that enables a proper functioning of everyday companies’ activity. This project proposes a roadmap for internal product codification in a company working in the metalworking industry. This guide shows good practices that highlight formal basic rules whose could add value to internal processes of the organization and so to provide a solid system where the company can rely on providing more time to its workers to spend in other tasks. At last it is provided a generic conceptual model to serve as an approach to develop a codification system in any given organization.
- Concept and Design of Automated Moving Device for Healthcare EquipmentPublication . Faria, N.M.S.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Silva, Francisco J. G.; Ferreira, Luís PintoThe physical wear of health professionals arises mainly from the movement of people with reduced mobility, transport of stretchers, hospital beds and hospital carts. There is a lack of equipment that helps these professionals to move patients in hospital beds or stretchers. This work aims to design an equipment that removes health professionals’ function of moving patients from beds to stretchers, being able to move patients around the hospital in a bed. Added to this challenge was the diversification of models of hospital beds, making it necessary for the equipment to adapt to all beds. The design process included several finite element method analyses to validate the structure, and also a structural optimization, to reduce costs and reduce the weight of the equipment. This work successfully designed an optimized automated solution that can improve working conditions in the healthcare industry.
- Cost reduction and quality improvements in the printing industryPublication . Moreira, A.; Silva, F.J.G.; Correia, A.I.; Pereira, Maria Teresa; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Almeida, F. deCompetitiveness has been the key factor for the survival of the companies. The economic crisis that marked the beginning of this millennium forced the total readjustment of processes and operations which, in some cases, gave origin to deep changes in the organizations. In addition, concerns and consequent environmental constraints have begun to increase. Printing industry was strongly influenced by these factors. This study aims to reduce the use of toxic products and general costs in offset printing process, as well as promote a productivity increase in the printing industry. Because this kind of industry is largely influenced by weather conditions, historical data was collected, allowing to reach the balance between the printing consumables usage and working methodologies, leading to implementing important improvements. At the end of the study, it was possible to observe very good results, increasing the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) and reducing the Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) relatively to the equipment. The biggest achievement was the massive reduction of the isopropyl alcohol consumption in the offset printing process, increasing the air quality at the facilities, reducing the costs and most of the problems during the printing process.
- Cutting Forces Assessment in CNC Machining Processes: A Critical ReviewPublication . Sousa, Vitor F. C.; Silva, Francisco José Gomes da; Fecheira, José S.; Lopes, Hernâni M. L; Martinho, Rui Pedro; Casais, Rafaela B.; Ferreira, Luís PintoMachining processes remain an unavoidable technique in the production of high-precision parts. Tool behavior is of the utmost importance in machining productivity and costs. Tool performance can be assessed by the roughness left on the machined surfaces, as well as of the forces developed during the process. There are various techniques to determine these cutting forces, such as cutting force prediction or measurement, using dynamometers and other sensor systems. This technique has often been used by numerous researchers in this area. This paper aims to give a review of the different techniques and devices for measuring the forces developed for machining processes, allowing a quick perception of the advantages and limitations of each technique, through the literature research carried out, using recently published works
- A DMS to Support Industrial Process Decision-Making: a contribution under Industry 4.0Publication . Pereira, Maria Teresa; Silva, A.; Ferreira, Luís Pinto; Sá, José Carlos; Silva, F.J.G.This paper presents the development of an Information System (IS) an automotive manufacturing.The system was developed to reduce waste and increase productivity, through better decision-making. The used methodology to implement it was the Business Process Management (BPM). A DMS (Document Management System) for decision making support was built, reducing the action time and providing faster maintenance of all needed data. As a result, the users time decision making and the administrator maintenance was reduced by a total of 26 minutes, corresponding to a 1.61 € reduction per unit built, which means an efficiency of 41%. The present work fits in the company’s strategy for Industry 4.0 and a more sustainable environment, being a positive driver of Industry 4.0 implementation and transformation.