Browsing by Subject "Manufacturing"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    All-terrain Vehicles in Minnesota: Economic impact and consumer profile
    (University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2006) Schneider, Ingrid E.; Schnonecker, Tony
    All-terrain vehicle (ATV) sales and subsequent recreational riding has significantly increased in the United States and Minnesota. Both sales and participation are projected to continue significantly increasing through 2014. To date, no Minnesota specific information on ATV consumers and their economic impact exist. Given the strong presence and projected increase in this activity, such information seems critical.
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    All-terrain Vehicles in Minnesota: Economic impact and consumer profile Executive Summary
    (University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2006) Schneider, Ingrid E.; Schnoenecker, Tony
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    Contributions to Optimal Experimental Designs with Application to the Development of Machine Learning Based Systems
    (2023-03) Sunder, Gautham
    Design of experiments (DoE) is long-established as an indispensable methodology for reliableand expeditious product development across many domains. Over the years, the application context of DoE has evolved from agriculture experiments to industrial experiments, and more recently, to experiments on software products. The three studies in the thesis make methodological contributions to the optimal experimental design literature and propose experimentation strategies for the following objectives (i) for optimizing an unknown noisy black-box function, (ii) for estimating an unknown noisy black-box function, and (iii) for identifying the best surrogate model among m ≥ 2 candidate models that best approximate the unknown black-box function. The application context of the first two studies is hyperparameter optimization of machine learning models, a critical step in their training process. The application context of the third study is online evaluation of machine learning models, a critical step for validating the performance of the models prior to their deployment. We illustrate the utility of the proposed experimentation strategies through simulation studies on synthetic test functions and two case studies at a large medical device manufacturer in the context of automating visual quality inspections in manufacturing. Minimizing the total cost of experimentation and shortening the experimentation lifecycle for the development of reliable machine learning based systems are the key contributions of the methods proposed in this thesis.
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    Implementation of total employee involvement as part of a continuous improvement program at a Fortune 500 Company
    (2012-03) Carlson, Kathy Lynn
    Over the last several decades, Continuous Improvement (CI) type initiatives have been implemented in companies across the United States to improve quality, reduce process variation, eliminate waste and ultimately reduce costs. Approximately five years ago, one particular Fortune 500 company implemented CI in its manufacturing facilities. A key driver in the success and long term sustainability of CI at this company is believed to be Total Employee Involvement (TEI). The CI team does not currently have a best way to put TEI into practice in its manufacturing facilities. The purpose of the study is to investigate how TEI is best implemented and advanced at the manufacturing facilities of one specific Fortune 500 company. This grounded theory study proposes a continuum that defines TEI. Common practices that advance TEI are highlighted. Characteristics that support TEI implementation are discussed.
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    Implementation of total employee involvement as part of a Continuous improvement program at a Fortune 500 company.
    (2012-03) Carlson, Kathy Lynn
    Over the last several decades, Continuous Improvement (CI) type initiatives have been implemented in companies across the United States to improve quality, reduce process variation, eliminate waste and ultimately reduce costs. Approximately five years ago, one particular Fortune 500 company implemented CI in its manufacturing facilities. A key driver in the success and long term sustainability of CI at this company is believed to be Total Employee Involvement (TEI). The CI team does not currently have a best way to put TEI into practice in its manufacturing facilities. The purpose of the study is to investigate how TEI is best implemented and advanced at the manufacturing facilities of one specific Fortune 500 company. This grounded theory study proposes a continuum that defines TEI. Common practices that advance TEI are highlighted. Characteristics that support TEI implementation are discussed
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    Investigating policy transfer from both sides: case study of a technical and vocational education and training model in South Africa
    (2013-10) Stuart, Jonathan David
    A manufacturing TVET program, known as M-Powered, was developed in the United States and successfully transferred to twelve sites in South Africa. This process took several years to complete, and the new TDM-Powered Program, aimed at skill development in the tool, die, and mold-making industry has now been running for four years. The research question for this study was: "What features were important in the successful transfer of M-Powered to TDM-Powered?" Using a model from the education policy borrowing field, four specific sub-questions were utilized to break the transfer process into distinct phases. The objective of this investigation was to understand and describe the experiences of those on the US and South African sides who worked to make this happen. By incorporating the perspectives of both those from the borrowing and lending countries this case study provides an example of an industry led cross-national initiative to develop manufacturing competency via transfer of a TVET model. This research was conducted as a qualitative case study using a constructionist lens. Methods for data collection have involved the triangulation of document analysis, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The same process of investigation was undertaken in both countries with fifteen participants in total. Findings from this case study paint a specific picture of what was involved in the TVET model's transfer both in terms of a narrative story and from the collective themes of those on each side. An analysis of these findings allowed for comparisons to be drawn between those themes from the data and in light of the literature. Though not meant to be an evaluation of the process or programs in either country, it is hoped that this record is instructive. The specific implications of this study are focused around these areas: (A) the ways in which the fields of HRD, TVET, and education policy borrowing interact with and inform one another; (B) the impact of an industry led initiative to solve a national skills crisis by looking abroad; (C) incorporation of the perspectives of lenders and borrows leading to a more holistic view of educational program transfer.
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    Manufacturing Cut-And-Sew Garment-Integrated Technologies: An Investigation Of Surface-Mount Fabrication For Electronic Textiles
    (2020-08) Islam Molla, Md. Tahmidul
    The current wearable industry often uses custom made techniques (e.g., craft-based, hobbyists) that utilized proprietary equipment in a laboratory setting with specific applications in mind. While craft construction of textile-integrated electronics is common, these methods are typically not efficient enough for larger-scale production. For larger-scale production, the barriers to textile- and garment-integration have restricted the ability to spatially distribute technology over the body surface, particularly sensing and actuating components that may rely heavily on or be strongly affected by their specific location on the body. Industrial fabrication of e-textiles requires an efficient and scalable process that allows spatial distribution of components with a careful balance of automation and human labor. This research project aims to develop, characterize, and assess a scalable manufacturing method for garment-integrated technologies that preserve user comfort and work within the constraints of typical apparel manufacturing processes while providing required electrical performance and durability needed by the system. We have developed a method for attaching discrete surface-mount components and characterized the method. The method uses an industrial pattern stitching machine to stitch conductive traces onto a fabric surface in a 2D pattern and a reflow technique to integrate electronic components. Several prototypes from small fabric swatches to completed e-textile garments were made and tested to evaluate the durability, efficiency, and effectiveness of the method. We show a durability of 3% joint failure after a 14-hour wear test with no insulation and 0% failure rate after a washability test with insulation for the best manufacturing conditions. To investigate the scalability of the method at a garment scale as compared to manufacture of non-electronic garments, forty pieces each of regular and temperature sensing fire-fighter turnout gear coat liner garments have been produced. This manufacturing case study was used to evaluate the successful functionality of the manufactured garments as well as the impact of integrating electronic technology on labor, equipment, and cost. The study results show that the average manufacturing time to produce a sensor-integrated thermal liner was 3.27 times higher than producing a regular thermal liner garment, given that all the materials, labor, and machines remain constant. The sensor-integrated thermal liner garment cost around 3.44 times more to produce compared to the regular thermal liner garment. However, further analysis showed that by optimizing some of the processes, and using fully functional machines and skilled laborers, the production cost of the same sensor-integrated garment could be cut down by almost 51% and if the production takes place in a developing country where labor cost is much lower than in developed countries, the cost of production could be cut down to as much as 72%. Moreover, it would require more skilled laborers and better training of the laborers to produce e-textile garments compared to regular garments. We show that with strategic design and using existing machines and tools, technologies could be integrated into clothing during the assembly process using existing apparel manufacturing technology without a significant impact on labor, equipment, and cost. Furthermore, results of this case study were used to identify the more abstract challenges including machine optimization, human errors, and process variables involved in transitioning from one-off production to a larger-scale context in a Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) factory setting. The manufacturing method could be potentially used as an alternative for manufacturing e-textiles in mass.
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    Snowmobiling in Minnesota: Economic Impact and Consumer Profile
    (University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2005) Schneider, Ingrid E.; Pascal, Elizabeth; Salk, Raintry; Schnoenecker, Tony