Resource Evaluation of Interlinked Manufacturing Systems in Tooling

Major challenges in the tool and die making sector are product derivatization and the increasing global market competition for tooling companies. This results in increased cost pressure for the small and medium sized enterprises in this market sector. Due to the time-consuming manufacturing of tools for mass production and high quality standards, alternative approaches are needed for the conventional tool production process. The industrial tool and die making process focusses automation approaches and the integration of new manufacturing technologies. An interlinked shopfloor and a manufacturing system that allows a flexible part production are further scopes for an economic process design. To evaluate the manufacturing resources, a matching concept is needed that allows a holistic evaluation within a generic structure. The presented evaluation method realizes these requirements and helps to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the manufacturing resources of a flexible manufacturing system by focusing on the three target criteria of production systems in the tool and die making sector: Productivity, quality and flexibility of the manufacturing resources. To implement this evaluation, the manufacturing resource level is reduced to sublevels, where the individual machines and systems are evaluated separately to unfold the potential of the components of the manufacturing system. With this approach, all key figures aggregate to an overall performance index of the flexible manufacturing system.