The production scheduling of the manufacture of precision moulded thermal insulation in a chemical company

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the production problems in 1964/65 of a company manufacturing insulating materials. The project itself was undertaken at the request of the company, who were finding difficulty in scheduling their production, particularly of pipe insulation, in two different materials, using a semi-automatic process. The thesis has been written in order to demonstrate the use of Operational Research Techniques, and to show that they follow the same distinct stages as are: used in Scientific Method. These are:-(1) Assessment of the problem (2) Collection of data (3) Analysis of data (4) Simulation (5) Preparation of suggested solutions (6) Continuing check In the application used, the author's original assessment is reproduced together with a critique, and it is shown that after the collection and analysis of data, a reassessment of the problem had to be made. The conclusion was reached that the major problem existed in the equipment used to mould the insulation pipe-sections. The semi-automatic process included the pouring of the slurry-like raw material into “mould-blocks”, which comprised a number of mould cylinders of different sizes. It was the distribution of mould cylinders to the mould-blocks which appeared to cause the main difficulty in scheduling production. By using a scale drawing of a mould-block section, and cardboard discs to represent the range of cylinders in section, a new configuration of mould-block was designed. A simulation of production, by hand, was carried out to demonstrate that the new configuration was superior to the existing one, and a plan wa prepared to carry out the changeover with the least effect on current production. Finally, a computer simulation of production was carried out to compare two different configurations, which could have paved the way for the design of the optimum configuration.