Product Segmentation and Sustainability in Customized Assembly with Respect to the Basic Elements of Industry 4.0

Branislav Micieta, Vladimira Binasova, Radovan Lieskovsky, Martin Krajcovic and Luboslav Dulina
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Branislav Micieta: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Vladimira Binasova: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Radovan Lieskovsky: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Martin Krajcovic: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia
Luboslav Dulina: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Sustainable manufacturing is not just about manufacturing, but also products and services. In the area of custom production processes, there may also be circumstances of organizational management where compliance with labor productivity and the due-date principle is problematic. Similar products with different operating times cause the throughput of assembly lines to slow down, increase number of works in progress (WIP), and increase productivity waste. It is possible to reduce this impact through various productivity-enhancing methods and innovations. This paper presents an innovative approach to product segmentation in the assembly phase of custom manufacturing, and a proposal for a new segmentation procedure that will allow significantly better integration of products into existing assembly processes without negatively impacting the company’s production indicators. The scientific problem was defined on the basis that extending existing segmentation by the third dimension of operating times allows products in MTO (made to order) environments to be divided into families with approximately equal operating times. This will increase assembly efficiency in existing medium to large companies without large investments in the development and adaptation of assembly process products. The contributions of this work relate mainly to simple adaptations to existing processes in medium-sized businesses. The proposed solution respects the basic elements of Industry 4.0.

Keywords: product segmentation; sustainable manufacturing; adaptive assembly; operating times (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:21:p:6057-:d:282221

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