Question

2.    What is the flexible manufacturing? What are its advantages? What are its disadvantages? (15 pts)

3.    What is the just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing? How to achieve it? How does it impact facilities design? (15 pts)

4.    What is the U-shaped flow-line manufacturing system? Why does it become so popular? (10 pts)

Answer 1

2. Flexible manufacturing is a manufacturing process which is flexible on adapting the changes in type and quantity of the products being manufactured. Machines and systems can be configured for a variation in parts and handle the changing level in manufacturing.

Some of the advantages of flexible manufacturing are:

• A flexible manufacturing can improve efficiency in manufacturing.
• As efficiency increases production cost becomes lower.
• Limiting conditions for change in production quantity according to demand becomes less and can be easily adapted
• It allows to customise the product according to customers need.

Some of the disadvantages are:

• For such flexibility upfront cost is higher.
• Time required to design and execute the plant is difficult and time consuming.