The purpose of this study is to improve the production flow in a mixed-model assembly line. This has been achieved by first identifying the problems in a mixed-model assembly line and proposing the solutions that can be applied to the problems. In addition, the purpose will be fulfilled with the help of the existing studies and by answering the research questions.

En pågående fråga för företag idag är möjligheten att leverera ett brett sortiment av produkter, med kort ledtid och till låg kostnad. Det innebär att större krav ställs på att företagen ska ha en hög produktmix- och volymflexibilitet samtidigt som de håller hög effektivitet. För att uppnå detta krävs att företagen bland annat belyser de okända förlusterna i sin organisation och produktionsprocess för att sedan minimera dessa.

Denna studie har tagit plats på ett industriellt företag som heter Corroventa avfuktning AB och är beläget i Bankeryd, Sverige. De specialiserar sig bland annat på produkter som används för att avfukta byggnader och neutralisera radonstrålning.

Företaget producerar i huvudsak mot lager, väderförhållanden som skapar översvämningar och fuktskador kan driva upp efterfrågan till en punkt som företaget inte kan uppfylla med en tillräckligt kort ledtid för att vinna kundorder. Detta sätter press på Corroventa till att effektivisera och utveckla produktionen för att öka flexibiliteten och minska ledtiden.

Fallstudien har genomförts på en avdelning som kallas för insatsmontering, denna avdelning är en förmonteringsenhet till slutmontering av produkten adsorptionsavfuktare. Avdelningen har identifierats som en begräsning för hela systemet när hög efterfrågan råder, därför har undersökningen utförts för att identifiera de underliggande problemen som orsakade begräsningen och ge förbättringsåtgärder på dessa.

Med en nulägesanalys och ett teoretiskt ramverk som grund har författarna identifierat områden på avdelningen som kan effektiviseras. Rekommendationsförslagen inkluderar en ny produktionslayout, en mer balanserad monteringsprocess samt en minskning av materialhanteringen. Dessa förslag kommer att förbättra avdelningens produktmix- och volymflexibilitet samtidigt som ledtiden reduceras.

Som ett sista steg har en diskussion och slutsats skrivits för att diskutera studiens validitet och reliabilitet, därefter sammanfattas förbättringsförslagen och föreslagna framtida studier som kan genomföras för att ständigt förbättra verksamheten.

Purpose - This thesis aims to developing a decision-making tool which fits in a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) milieu used to identify whether to introduce and produce a new product into an already existing assembly line or to invest in a new assembly line. To fulfil the purpose, four research questions were developed. 

1. Which line balancing problem-solving techniques exist in the literature?
2. Which investment costs can be considered vital for new assembly lines as a    consequence from new product introductions?
3. Can a decision-making tool be designed to evaluate new product introductions which considers both line balancing KPIs and investment costs in an assembly line?
4. To what extent can criteria in the RMS theory be linked with the attributes of the    designed decision-making tool to support its applicability?

Method - Literature studies were performed in order to create a theoretical foundation for the thesis to stand upon, hence enabling the possibility to answer the research questions. The literature studies were structured to focus on selected topics, including reconfigurable manufacturing systems, line balancing, and assembly line investment costs. To answer the third research question, which involved creating a decision-making tool, a single-case study was carried out. The company chosen was within the automotive industry. Data was collected through interviews, document studies and a focus group.

Findings & analysis - An investigation regarding which line balancing solving-techniques suit RMS and which assembly line investment costs are critical when  introducing new products has been made. The outputs from these  investigations set the foundation for developing a decision-making tool which enables fact-based decisions. To test the decision-making tool’s compatibility with reconfigurable manufacturing systems, an evaluation against established characteristics was performed. The evaluation identified two reconfigurable manufacturing system characteristic as having a direct correlation to the decision-making tool. These characteristics regarded scalability and convertibility.

Conclusions - The industrial contribution of the thesis was a decision-making tool that enables fact-based decisions regarding whether to introduce a new product into an already existing assembly line or invest in a new assembly line. The academic contribution involved that the procedure for evaluating the tool was recognized as also being suitable for testing the reconfigurable correlation with other production development tools. Another contribution regards bridging the knowledge gaps of the classifications in line balancing-solving techniques and assembly line investment costs.

Delimitations - One of the delimitations in the thesis involved solely focusing on developing and analysing a decision-making tool from an RMS perspective. Hence, other production systems were not in focus. Also, the thesis only covered the development of a decision-making tool for straight assembly lines, not U-shaped lines.

This report presents the conceptual development of an off-road cargo trailer designed for usage in conjunction with bicycles when camping. The objective of the study is to address the limitations of existing cargo trailers and thereafter create a trailer that efficiently can navigate off-road terrains while carrying various types of cargo. The research includes collecting data regarding user behaviours and desired functions an optimal trailer should obtain and was translated into user requirements. The result demonstrates the successful development of an off-road cargo trailer on a conceptual level that offers innovative solutions and improved load-carrying capacity in comparison to the available market, while considering factors such as weight, manoeuvrability, and ease of use. This research contributes to the field by presenting data, which can be used in development and a comprehensive solution that expands the possibilities for bicycle-based cargo transportation in off-road environments. Future work can include further refinements to optimise the trailer’s performance and address additional user requirements based on the data presented.

Customer Demand Uncertainty is a big obstacle for companies to sustain their competitiveness in the market that responding customer requirements becomes essential. Besides companies need to consider also their cost structures which should have in high consistency to survive as well. Lean and Agile terminologies have been investigated so far in cost and responsiveness to customer manner within internal system perspective i.e. product volume and variety. This thesis aims to link lean manufacturing steps with customer demand uncertainty condition following information systems, marketing issues and human factor for management level in framework that firm’s (manufacturer) current condition can be tested according to answers from questionnaires and implementation of assessment tables since it is used as guideline and provides on which level firms are in demand uncertainty, lean and agile manufacturing. This support enables to firms to create their own flexible leagile decoupling point according to their interior characteristics and capabilities in the market.

Case studies and modeling of logistics systems are the basis for the formulation of the content and structure of a reference model for the organization and management of Value Networks as a higher stage of integrated development of supply chains. The definition of a mathematical model for the balance of the Value Network can reveal the characteristics and principles of organization and management of Value Networks.The instrument obtained enables supply chains to assess their level of development and identify the characteristics that should be developed to reach the concept of Value Network, which is based on knowledge development and environmental integration as supports of the same and its competitive position in the global market.

Proper integration into the model of environmental factors ensures that Value Networks are inserted into the objectives of promoting sustainable development. The current concept of logistics flow is extended to incorporate within it the exchange of energy, resources and impacts to the environment.

The research methods used were based on a combination of study and experimentation of cases and the conceptual and mathematical modeling of systems.

A partir del año 2011, Cuba emprendió la actualización de su modelo económico, lo cual ha estado signado en conformar un nuevo escenario para el desempeño de las entidades económicas. La investigación que se presenta tiene el objetivo de identificar los elementos de la organización que son relevantes en la determinación del desempeño de las entidades cubanas en el escenario económico y social actual. Se han identificado 42 elementos relevantes de la organización, cuyo desarrollo es condición para que las mismas obtengan buenos desempeños en el escenario que se conforma con las transformaciones actuales y futuras del modelo económico. Se requiere que cada entidad, de acuerdo con sus características, emprenda un desarrollo al menos en los 42 elementos relevantes puestos de manifiesto en el presente estudio.

This paper presents a decision-support system for reshoring decision-making based on fuzzy logic. The construction and functionality of the decision-support system is briefly outlined and evaluated in a highcost environment contemplating six specific decision criteria, namely cost, quality, time, flexibility, innovation and sustainability. A major challenge with fuzzy logic solutions has to do with the construction of the fuzzy inference rules. In the relocation domain, the fuzzy inference rules represent the knowledge and competence of relocation experts and they are usually created manually by the same experts. One obstacle is that the complexity of the fuzzy inference rules increases with the number of decision criteria. To overcome this complexity issue, this paper presents a solution whereby the fuzzy inference rules are automatically generated by applying one hundred reshoring scenarios as input data. The reshoring decision recommendations produced by the fuzzy logic decision-support system are demonstrated to be close to those of human reshoring domain experts.

Reshoring can be regarded as offshoring in reverse. While offshoring mainly has been driven by cost aspects, reshoring considers multiple aspects, such as higher quality demands, faster product delivery and product mass-customization. Where to locate manufacturing is usually a purely manual activity that relies on relocation experts, hence, an automated decision-support system would be extremely useful. This paper presents a decision-support system for reshoring decision-making building a fuzzy inference system. The construction and functionality of the fuzzy inference system is briefly outlined and evaluated within a high-cost environment considering six specific reshoring decision criteria, namely cost, quality, time, flexibility, innovation and sustainability. A challenge in fuzzy logic relates to the construction of the so called fuzzy inference rules. In the relocation domain, fuzzy inference rules represent the knowledge and competence of relocation experts and are usually generated manually by the same experts. This paper presents a solution where fuzzy inference rules are automatically generated applying one hundred reshoring scenarios as input data. Another important aspect in fuzzy logic relates to the membership functions. These are mostly manually defined but, in this paper, a semi-Automatic approach is presented. The reshoring decision recommendations produced by the semi-Automatically configured fuzzy inference system are shown to be as accurate as those of a manually configured fuzzy inference system. 

Outsourcing verkar ofta inte leva upp till de resultat som förväntas. Det förefaller som om sourcingbeslut oftast har sin utgångspunkt i bristfälliga underlag baserade på kortsiktiga motiv samt att de ofta är oplanerade och improviserade. Detta kan leda till att viktiga faktorer, som kan medföra långsiktiga konsekvenser, inte beaktas i de beslutsunderlag som tas fram.

Syftet är att ta fram en strukturerad beslutsprocess som leder fram till ett väl avvägt sourcingbeslut och att praktiskt tillämpa denna på Husqvarna AB.

Metod som använts är en fallstudie som innehåller en teoretisk djupstudie som utmynnar i den teoretiska referensramen. Vidare har en empirisk studie genomförts på Husqvarna AB där ett verkligt fall studeras, analyseras och utvärderas.

Beslutsprocessen är baserad på den teoretiska referensramen och är strukturerad som ett antal aktiviteter. Varje aktivitet innehåller i sin tur ett antal frågor som bör besvaras för att på så vis säkerställa ett väl avvägt sourcingbeslut. Frågorna är framtagna så att de tillsammans skall omfatta allt det som kan påverkas av outsourcing och som därför bör beaktas inför ett sourcingbeslut.

Fallet på Husqvarna AB analyseras m h a beslutsprocessen vilket dels visar på beslutsprocessens användbarhet och dels ger en utvärdering av fallet. De empiriska studierna visar att om företaget hade använt beslutsprocessen vid genomförandet inför sourcingbeslut så hade beslutet blivit mer väl avvägt.

Slutsatsen är att syftet med examensarbetet uppfylldes eftersom en strukturerad beslutsprocess tagits fram vilken har visat sig vara tillämpbar på Husqvarna AB.

Malfunctions in hydraulic systems can be tied to contaminations being the most prominentfactor for them to occur. Contaminations in hydraulic systems can lead to shorter lifetime forhydraulic components, oil leaks that can pollute surrounding environments and also increasethe risk of accidents happening if the systems do not work as intended. Cleanliness in hydraulicsystems is therefore an important success factor for organisations producing hydraulicallyoperated products, because if neglected it can negatively affect economic, environmental andsocial sustainability factors.This study was conducted at a production facility where market-leading hydraulically operatedproducts are manufactured. The purpose of the study was to investigate how activities such ashandling, storage, and assembly of hydraulic components in a production facility can affect therisk of contaminations being built into hydraulic systems. Experiments and observations wereused as the main data collection methods to collect different types of data and also to strengthenthe overall results obtained from the two different methods.The results showed that the assembly stage of hydraulic systems is where the most risks lie withpersonnel and production facility and equipment used being the most influential risk factors.This was also coupled to that all assembly activities, including the hydraulics, were performedin the same area for the product. It also showed that sedimented particles from the ambientenvironment at the assembly stage could mostly not be linked to particles found in analysedhydraulic oil samples taken from assembled products. The majority of sedimented particlesfound was also deemed to pose little risk of damaging the hydraulic systems.This study contributed to research by providing a real-world example of how internal processesin a production facility can affect the risk of particle contaminations being built into hydraulicsystems.

Uppsatsen syfte är att öka förståelsen och föreslå nya värmebehandlingsparametrar för att förbättra gigacykelutmattningsegenskaperna för austempererat segjärn (ADI). Arbetet utfördes hos gruv- och infrastrukturföretaget Epiroc där de tidigare undersökt gigacykelutmattnings-egenskaper för ADI men endast för ett värmebehandlingsrecept. Utmattningsegenskaperna för ADI har undersökts akademiskt i stor utsträckning men då framförallt i låg- till högcykelområdet (≤10⁸ cykler) med endast ett fåtal studier i gigacykelområdet (>10⁸ cykler). Därför baserades arbetet på tesen: ’förbättringar i högcykelutmattning bör ge en förbättring vid gigacykelutmatning’. Den tesen möjliggör nyttjande av större mängd publicerad forskning som genomförts i området för värmebehandlingens inverkan på högcykelutmattning (>10⁷ cykler).

För att effektivt kunna utföra värmebehandlingsexperiment på den Cu-Ni-Mo legerade segjärnet var det kritisk att finna material- och mekaniska egenskaper som kännetecknar hög högcykelutmattningsgräns. Potentialen att kunna nyttja dessa egenskaper nyttjas för experimentering med värmebehandling men samtidigt hålla nere mängden utmattningsprov är hög.

Identifiering av de kritiska värmebehandlingsparameterana (och parameterområdena) som visades ge hög högcykelutmattningsstyrka var de första steget, vilka är: Austempereringstemperatur (T_aus), austempereringstid (t_aus), och austenitiseringstemperatur (T_γ). Hög dukilitet, slagseghet (onotchat) och hög volymfraktion kolstabiliserad austenit identifierades som de mekaniska och material-egenskaper som var karaktäriserande för dessa väl presterande material i högcykelutmattning. Med värmebehandlingsparameterar, material- och mekaniska egenskaper utmärkande för hög högcykelutmattningsgräns utvecklades en experimentell testserie baserat på faktoriell design (2³). Metodiken valdes för sin enkelhet och styrka, framförallt att kunna se effekten av både de individuella värmebehandlingsparameterna men även interaktionseffekterna mellan dem. För varje parameter (2³) testas två nivåer (2³), en hög och en låg vilket resulterar i totalt 8 olika värmebehandlingsförsök. Svarsvariablerna som utvärderas för varje värmebehandlingsförsök var primärt dukilitet, slagseghet och volymfraktion kolstabiliserad austenit. Vilket medger att följande provning utfördes på de 8 test materialen: dragprov, slagprov, röntgendiffraktion. Råmaterial för värmebehandling och provning gjöts av ett kommersiellt gjuteri i form av Y-block typ III med kemisk sammansättning enligt Epiroc’s specifikation. Provresultaten i form av individuella och interaktionseffekter bedömdes både grafiskt och beräknades fram samt att resultaten validerades genom jämförelse med resultat från litteraturen. Bra överrensstämmelse mellan de experimentella resultaten i arbetet och jämförd litteratur sågs för denna kemiska sammansättning. Slutligen föreslogs en ny uppsättning värmebehandlingsparameterar för ökad högcykelutmattningsgräns.

The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors forcing manufacturing companies to improve the development of production technology in a machining environment. The focus in the paper is on industrial challenges within product design and production system development when introducing new products in a machining environment. Particular attention is given to the product development process and the production equipment acquisition process. A single case study is presented, consisting of interviews, observations, document studies and an analysis of a large Swedish manufacturing company. The case study company is characterized by advanced production technology, high mechanization and high automation level. In parallel with the case study a literature review was conducted in order to identify state-of-the-art methods/models for efficient design and product introduction within a production system. The paper identifies a gap in the current way of working within the case company as well as challenges regarding the development of production technology. Based on the study, the need for future research has been identified including the need of developing an improved working support for efficient production technology development when industrializing new products.

In order to compete within the manufacturing industry, there is a need to acquire and develop new manufacturing technologies to differentiate the company from others. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse factors affecting development of a manufacturing technology in a joint development project with an equipment supplier. A longitudinal case study has been conducted at a Swedish manufacturing company and the collaboration between a manufacturing company and an equipment supplier has been studied. The findings reveal that tacit knowledge and good equipment supplier relationship are highly important factors that facilitate development of a manufacturing technology.

In order to compete within the manufacturing industry, there is a need to acquire and develop new manufacturing technologies to differentiate the company from others. This paper builds on extant operations management and innovation management literature with the focus on how to managing early manufacturing technology development. A multiple case study has been conducted at a Swedish manufacturing company in the automotive industry and our paper proposes a conceptual process for early manufacturing technology development and the key activities therein. The findings are relevant for managers working with long-term development and the paper concludes by discussing implications and research limitations.

The fuzzy front end of product development has been studied extensively in previous research, while the fuzzy front end of manufacturing technology development has been largely neglected despite its importance. Only a few empirical studies that examine the fuzzy front end of manufacturing technology development can be found, which have been primarily carried out in the process industry. Therefore, the overall purpose of this paper is to explore the fuzzy front end of manufacturing technology development. Based on three case studies carried out in the manufacturing industry, the findings of the current research highlight key activities in the fuzzy front end of manufacturing technology development and suggest that the fuzzy front end has four sub-phases with overlapping development activities. 

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss how the MRL scale can support the assessment of a manufacturing technology’s maturity level. A single case study within the manufacturing industry has been conducted investigating the use of a MRL scale. An assessment of MRL 4 has been studied.

ESBE AB är ett anrikt företag som utvecklar och säljer VVS relaterade produkter. De har en utmärkande hög kvalité och driftsäkerhet på sina produkter med ett tydligt fokus på sitt formspråk. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att uppdatera formspråket på deras produkt CRB100 och producera tre konceptlösningar som beskriver hur produktserien skulle kunna utvecklas. Arbetet utfördes som en konceptstudie och använde en produktutvecklingsprocess för att strukturera arbetet. De teorier och metoder och hur metoderna genomfördes beskrivs också. Mycket av arbetet har dedikerats till förarbetet där företagets historia, varumärkes strategi och produktens position på marknaden har granskats i syftet att skapa ett utförligt underlag för konceptgenereringsfasen och konceptsållningsfasen. Studien producerade tre slutgiltiga konceptlösningar som sedan presenterades för ansvariga på företaget. Alla tre koncept ansågs ha potential för implementering i framtiden. ESBE avser att efter utvärdering ta ett eller flera koncept vidare mot eventuell realisering via konsultföretag som kommer att skapa prototyper och förbereda inför produktion.

This report covers a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering program at School of Engineering at Jönköping University. The work in the report is carried out by Diako Ahmadi and Rickard Surtevall where the assignment is originally performed by Mattr Collective AB. Mattr has been commissioned by the Swedish Motorsport Federation (Svemo) to follow through with this project.

The background to this project is to develop an add-on kit which makes it possible to electrify the 2023 model Yamaha R3 motorcycle. The final goal for the client (Svemo) is to start a cost and climate-effective racing class for electrified motorcycles 2024.

Through-out the report, calculations and simulations are presented to evaluate the stiffness of the motorcycle and the technical solution. The mission taker, Mattr, have developed a prototype built on a smaller motorcycle, a Yamaha R125. The outcome of the prototype had some issues such as deficit in its performance and carrying capacity. Thus, this project has covered those points that Mattr had problems with on their prototype.

At first, a study has been performed on the motorcycle’s frame where a representative model has been recreated. The recreated frame together with different test methods will act as a benchmark for comparison between the add-on kit and the original frame. This because the manufacturer doesn’t hand out files and technical specifications.

During the course of the work, the product development method Double Diamond have been used to make several iterations through FEA (Finite Element Analysis), this to obtain a result by evaluating and simulating.

The result of this work is an add-on kit which is compatible with a Yamaha R3, this without affecting the motorcycle’s appearance and stiffness. Through the simulations, the add-on kit performs better together with the electrical components than with the combustion engine in some of the studies. Through the simulations, conclusions can be made that the different electrical components aren’t affected negatively on their performance through high displacements.

The world is currently trying to transition to a more fossil-free society, this where electrical solutions are a major contributing factor. Several industries are trying to electrify their products to contribute to a less climate impact, hence the reason for this project. 

Lamellar cast iron is a very important technical alloy and the most used material in the casting production especially in the automotive industry which is the major customer. There are many factors such as chemical composition, metallurgical condition and melt treatment that are effecting on the size, morphology and distribution of microstructure features of the lamella graphite iron which in turn this features effecting the material’s mechanical properties and tensile behaviour under static load.

In the past few years many researchers have been done different investigation within improvement of mechanical behaviour in the lamellar graphite iron. Controlling the solidification rate, changing the chemical composition and using different carbon content in the melt are some of the research that have been carried out in last years. Swerea/ Swecast in Jönköping has been involved in many of previous researches. The present work is part of the previous investigation that have been carried out in the Swecast/Swerea.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of different cooling rate on the microstructure parameters and furthermore how this parameters influence the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) in the lamellar graphite iron. To increase the understanding of cooling rates effect on the material properties, in this work the chemical composition and carbon content was equal in the all of the samples.

The collected data that are based on the morphological data of the solidification structure (dendritic network, eutectic cells) and the eutectoid transformation structure (pearlite) have been correlated to the measured tensile strength. The final purpose of this work was to develop a generic model for the prediction of the tensile strength in lamellar graphite iron which has been presented in the result chapters.

The question that have been answered in this work based on the following points.

 How the cooling rate influences the development of primary austenite phase and those effect on the UTS?

 How the pearlite interlamellar spacing develops during the different cooling rate and influencing the UTS?

 How the different cooling rates influence the size and amount of the eutectic cell and according to this how the UTS varies?

The work has been carried out according to the time plane (see appendix 6) and the result of this work showed that cooling rate has an essential effect on the microstructure features. By controlling the cooling rate, the material strength improves significantly.

Husqvarna Group är en koncern som tillverkar produkter för skötsel på grönområden samt för byggnadskonstruktion. Husqvarna har under våren 2022 lanserat Pace serien. Pace-serien är batteridriven variant av kapmaskiner. Serien är riktad till professionella användare inom byggindustrin. Examensarbetet kommer att fokuseraspå Pace-laddaren.Problemet som finns på den befintliga laddaren är att den inte uppfyller fallkravet som är satt på produkten. Delen som utsätts för en högre spänning än vad materialet klarar av är ”fläkthuset” när produkten tappas. Eftersom produkten förflyttas till och från en byggarbetsplats löper den en risk att tappas. Företaget har ett krav på att produkten skall klara ett fall från 1.2 meters höjd utan att få för stora skador som gör det möjligt för personer att komma åt elektriska komponenter. Under arbetet har en designlösningtagits fram och även en förbättring på den ursprungliga laddaren som resulterat i att hållfastheten har ökat.Relevanta områden inom mekanik har studerats för att veta vilka faktorer som påverkar utfallet positivt. Artiklar om tidigare utförda FEM-analyser och fysiska droptester har använts som guide för att utföra valideringsmetoderna. Teori om designändringar för att öka hållfastheten i konstruktion verifieras med hjälp av simuleringar för att sedan appliceras på framtagna koncept. En grundlig analys har utförts för att förstå laddarens uppbyggnad och vilka likvärdiga produkter som finns på marknaden. Med identifiering av problemen kunde därefter en idégenerering göras för att lösa problemet och därefter skissa fram koncept baserat på idéerna. Solidworks droptest simulation användes som utsållningsmetod av nya koncept och även för att utföra beräkningar på framtagna koncept. För framtagning av prototyper användes två olika 3D-skrivare, FDM samt SLS. Detta för att se ifall de nya koncepten hade en förbättrad hållfasthet.Resultat av arbetet blev två koncept som togs fram med hjälp av frågeställningarna. Ettav koncepten är en korrigering av den befintliga laddare samt ett koncept med ny design. Konceptet med den nya designen har en form som omsluter de två olika batterivarianter som kan användas med laddaren och är även utrustad med ett handtag för att underlätta bärandet. Med valideringsmetoderna som användes för att pröva koncepten med fysiska tester kan en förbättring i resultatet fastställas. Arbetsmetoderna kan därmed användas som redskap för nya konstruktörer att identifiera problem i ett tidigt stadie om det är en utveckling på en befintlig produkt.Användandet av metoden kan spara företag pengar genom att identifiera problem i designen tidigare under produktutvecklingsprocessen. Då kostnader för korrigeringar ökar exponentiellt med tiden i framtagande av en produkt. Användandet av 3D utskrivna prototyper kan användas för att förstärka trovärdigheten i resultaten från simuleringarna

In the pursuit of responding to climate change and reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions caused by human activities, restrictions and regulations took place by international policymakers to limit the harmful effect on the environment. Thus, Energy-intensive industries are experiencing an unprecedented challenge due to more strict rules and limitations by governments in the EU and Sweden on unsustainable practices. 

The purpose of the study is to highlight the barriers and benefits of investing in Energy Efficiency Technologies (EETs) such as Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) and Electric Energy Storage Systems (EESS) in a Swedish foundry firm. Further conduct a feasibility study of the selected technologies in the foundry energy system to understand to which extent improvements in Energy Efficiency (EE), cost reduction and GHG emissions take place. Further, contribute to the literature of Energy Management (EnM) by presenting a framework for decision-makers in energy-intensive industries to enable the implementation of EETs. 

A single case study took place to generate and relate important theories in managerial practices. Semi-structured and structured interviews were conducted with experts involved in the foundry industry, EETs, and energy consultants. Moreover, documents were also provided to extract data. The qualitative data analysis was conducted using the framework analysis method while the quantitative analysis was performed using modeling through RETScreen software. 

The results indicate that the main barriers to EETs are financial aspects, while environmental aspects were perceived as the most significant benefits. Furthermore, the feasibility study conducted proved a reduction of 4% in energy consumption, a reduction of 3% in annual GHG emissions, and a payback period of 5 years which was unfavorable for the investigated foundry. Further, the authors recommended an EnM framework based on EETs to ease their integration.

This report is made to create a process for urban furniture that is going to be placed in Jönköpingand other cities in Sweden. The process is created in collaboration with the company Re-invent yourfuture, which works with architecture and product design both in Sweden and other Europeancountries. The process will deliver a conceptual prototype with visualization effects, it will includesolutions for social interaction, interest and space for the citizens that live in urban spaces and big cities.

The transition from linear economy to circular economy (CE) has gained mainstream status in recent times, not only at product and process levels, but also at component level. In order to adopt the CE as common practice, there is a need to reimagine the product end-of-life (EoL) phase to include assessment of individual component health status. Implementation of EoL strategies on products designed based on wear and tear, robustness, and safety concerns is, however, complex. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of designing for CE by applying a visual health-based analysis (VHA) at the component level at the EoL stage. The application of this diagnostic tool is exemplified in a case at a large Swedish outdoor power product manufacturer by analyzing components for reuse, remanufacture, refurbishment, recycling, and recovery strategies. The VHA results in the calculation of a CE potential at the component-product level based on individual component's cost, complexity, health, and diagnostic approach. This study presents a diagnostic tool for practitioners to understand circularity at the component-level in the effort to identify EoL strategies. Furthermore, in supporting the CE principle of maximizing resource recovery, the study potentially contributes to the EU's CE action plan and the UN-SDGs 8, 9, 12, and 13.

Detta examensarbete handlar om införande av Lean Administration i administrativa stödprocesser. Examensarbetet undersöker hur Leanverktyg kan bidra till att standardisera dokument och dokumenthanteringen och därigenom eliminera slöserier. Parallellt erhålls kvalitetssäkring och effektivisering, samt att kapacitet frigörs till värdehöjande aktiviteter. Studiens fokus och tyngdpunkt beträffande empirin bygger på aktionsforskning bedriven hos ett tradingföretag där den stödjande dokumenthanteringen till arbetet med utfallsprover studerats närmare.

Bakgrunden till studien kan härledas till den globala konkurrensen som medfört att fler företag i större omfattning arbetat med att förbättra och effektivisera sin verksamhet. Fler företag har även valt att fokusera på sin kärnkompetens och har därför outsourcat delar av sin verksamhet. I linje med denna utveckling har nya aktörer uppkommit som specialiserat sig på andra områden än produktion. För dessa företag som inte har någon produktion att effektivisera blir fokus istället riktat mot att förbättra andra områden, så som administrationen.

Syftet med examensarbetet är att, baserat på Lean Administration, ge förslag på ny dokumenthantering för de administrativa stödprocesserna tillhörande utfallsprover. Resultatet av arbetet mynnar ut i ett förslag som presenteras i form av en mall skapad i Excel. Excelmallen har upprättats under examensarbetes gång och är byggd med stöd av principer och verktyg från Lean Administration. Mallen är tänkt att ersätta befintliga dokument i den administrativa stödprocessen och bidrar därmed till att standardisera och effektivisera arbetet med utfallsprover. Mallen bidrar även till valmöjligheter att bemöta kundernas olika krav samt höjer kvalitén genom inbyggd felsäkring.

Mallen kan anses generell och möjlig att implementera på olika företag som arbetar med utfallsprover. Den grafiska layouten kan dock behöva förändras för att anpassa dokumenten till företagsspecifika behov.

Under arbetets senare fas uppkom tankar om att vidareutveckla Excelmallen till ett totalkvalitetsdokument, vilket då skulle innehålla all information om en specifik artikel som härrör kvalité. Denna tankegång ger uppslag till vidare utvecklings och förbättringsarbete.

Förslag ges till vidare forskning inom området Lean Administration då ämnet har mycket kvar att utforska. Arbetssättet som använts i detta examensarbete, att granska arbetsmomenten med Leanglasögon, kan generaliseras och tillämpas även inom andra områden än processen med utfallsprover.

This thesis is being done in collaboration with Pansar Sweden, who has identified many problems with their current prototype fixture. They believe that their fixture is not structured, user-friendly, and does not look like a product that is ready for mass production and sales.

This report covers the work of developing a fixture that will provide watchmakers with a complete lapping machine that can perform high-quality polishing. The purpose of the machine is to achieve the same quality as the available lapping machines on the market, but at a competitive price. The report outlines the methods used to arrive at the final concept, as well as the various concepts developed during the work to arrive at the final concept. The methods used to arrive at a final concept include competitive analysis in form of a SWOT-analysis, MoSCoW, functional analysis, brainstorming, requirements specification, Pugh's matrix, and moodboard.

The concept was modeled to provide Pansar Sweden with a solid foundation for potential further development of the concept and the work. The modeling was 3D printed to provide a comprehensive picture of how it works in practice and that it meets the customer requirements set forth.

The work concludes with a presentation of the final concept, which is compared to the current prototype, and how Pansar Sweden can further develop the fixture and the entire lapping machine. This report represents a formal text for a bachelor thesis

Manual assembly systems are widely used for producing customized products in make to order production. Despite their competitive advantages, manual assembly systems bring several problems to the production organizations. Early identification of problems on the production floor is very important in order to keep production processes running smoothly and efficient. Hence, this research aims to increase the knowledge of understanding problems related to manual assembly systems in make to order production and develop solutions for the problems. To be able to reach the research aim, two research questions were formulated. While, the first question investigates the problems related to manual assembly systems in make to order production, the second question aims to develop possible solutions for the problems.

To be able to investigate the research problem in a real-life context, a single case study was performed at Volvo Powertrain F-Plant in Skövde, Sweden where there is a manual assembly of heavy duty diesel engine variants. In addition, existing literature was also investigated to make connections between the theory and the practice. As a result, the problems were revealed under six main categories as assembly processes, assembly operator learning, material handling, layout, ergonomics and information system. After revealing the problems, solutions were developed for each problem by using lean production principles and lean tools such as value stream mapping, standardized work. Moreover, other methods such as implementing kitting system, eliminating 7 waste in the production and implementing Takt time were also used to develop solutions. Based on the value stream mapping at the case company, improvements were developed and future state map was created for the case company. Evidently, the theoretical framework and the results from the empirical work were supported each other. At the end of the research, both research questions were answered and the aim of the research has been reached successfully.

The results of the research could be used as a guide for production organizations with similar production systems in order to identify and eliminate problems in manual assembly systems in make to order production. In addition, this study could be a basis to investigate the problems and their solutions in manual assembly systems in make to order production. The problems and solutions in manual assembly systems in make to order production could be extended by applying new theories and methods in the research area as a further research.

In today’s fierce competitive global markets, customers are demanding adjustable lot sizes, shorter lead times, higher quality and flexibility; in short, they want it all. In order to stay competitive in the market, companies need to attain both customer satisfaction and cost reduction in production operations. Material Handling Systems (MHS) is the place to accomplish this goal, since they have a direct impact on production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design an in-house MHS that could be efficient for the production it serves.

With this intention, a case-study has been conducted in Bosch Rexroth Japan. During the study, the information gathered through various sources; interviews, observations and measurements. Further, the gathered data is evaluated according to main pillars of the theoretical framework, which includes design principles and physical elements, information and software, human and management.

By analyzing the findings from literature review and empirical study, first problems and challenges related to MHSs are identified. Thereafter, possible features that the system should posses are elicited and a design is built out of the selected features.

To conclude, the results show that the success is not solely depending on system’s physical attributes; on the contrary, it is more related to rapid and accurate information sharing within the system. Another vital element is the interaction between system and the people, who are utilizing and operating the system. In general terms, the research took MHS design problems from one-dimensional equipment selection processes and enriches them by adding information sharing, human and management angles to design steps.

In today’s fierce competitive global markets, customers are demanding adjustable lot sizes, shorter lead times, higher quality and flexibility; in short, they want it all. In order to stay competitive in the market, companies need to attain both customer satisfaction and cost reduction in production operations. Material Handling Systems (MHS) is the place to accomplish this goal, since they have a direct impact on production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design an in-house MHS that could be efficient for the production it serves.

With this intention, a case-study has been conducted in Bosch Rexroth Japan. During the study, the information gathered through various sources; interviews, observations and measurements. Further, the gathered data is evaluated according to main pillars of the theoretical framework, which includes design principles and physical elements, information and software, human and management.

By analyzing the findings from literature review and empirical study, first problems and challenges related to MHSs are identified. Thereafter, possible features that the system should posses are elicited and a design is built out of the selected features.

To conclude, the results show that the success is not solely depending on system’s physical attributes; on the contrary, it is more related to rapid and accurate information sharing within the system. Another vital element is the interaction between system and the people, who are utilizing and operating the system. In general terms, the research took MHS design problems from one-dimensional equipment selection processes and enriches them by adding information sharing, human and management angles to design steps.

The ice-templating technique enables the fabrication of multilayered ceramic-based composite materials. Very little is known on the inelastic deformation mechanisms that evolve in this class of composite materials under compressive loading conditions and cause macroscopic failure. The current investigation is motivated by a recent study by the authors, which revealed that the uniaxial compressive response of ice-templated ceramic–polymer composites is strongly dependent on the loading direction relative to the layer orientation. The current investigation reveals that the inelastic deformation mechanisms in ice-templated alumina–epoxy composites are strongly influenced by the compressive loading orientation relative to the growth direction of ice crystals. The deformation mechanisms were investigated for the loading directions of 0° (parallel to the growth direction), 45° (to the growth direction), and 90° (to the growth direction). For 0°, kink band formation and longitudinal splitting were observed to be the primary strength limiting mechanisms. Kink band formation could be the primary strength limiting factor and responsible for the catastrophic-type compressive failure response. For the loading directions of 45° and 90°, interface delamination and fracture within the lamella walls and across the alumina–epoxy interfaces were the main deformation mechanisms. These mechanisms significantly reduced the compressive strength but attributed progressive-type failure behavior in ice-templated composites. The knowledge of the inelastic deformation mechanisms in ice-templated ceramic–polymer composites under compressive loading is vital for an improved understanding of structure–mechanical property relationships and hierarchical materials design.

This study conducts an in-depth analysis of the interplay between sustainable industrial growth and integrated industrial urban environments, proposing a novel paradigm for urban production. The aim of this study is to combine sustainable industrial growth with its integration into urban environments, to establish a new and novel way to seamlessly integrate industrial processes within urban surroundings. This research utilizes a thorough approach, incorporating several disciplines, to examine Hamadan industrial city. It includes an extensive survey of existing literature, a comparative analysis based on empirical evidence, and a detailed evaluation of a specific example. This technique aims to address a significant research gap by providing a comprehensive framework that promotes sustainable industrial practices in urban environments. The scholarly contribution of this work is to manifest in its formulation of a pragmatic framework designed to provide urban planners and policymakers with strategies to harmonize industrial growth with urban sustainability imperatives. This article tackles the considerable challenges posed by escalating urbanization and industrialization. To conceive a framework for urban planning and industrial operations that emphasize environmental stewardship, resource efficiency, and social welfare is the primary purpose of this project. The study shows how industrial cities may revitalize economies, innovate industries, and solve urban problems including housing shortages and congestion. The importance of creative, collaborative, and policy-driven initiatives to build sustainable and resilient industrial-urban ecosystems in global industrial sustainability efforts is highlighted. The findings show that synergistic urban-industrial integration is needed for economic growth, environmental protection, and social welfare.

Small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have inherent characteristics, which require specific solutions for improving the sustainability performance of their operations. The purpose of this paper is to increase the knowledge on barriers and enablers for the adoption of sustainable manufacturing by manufacturing SMEs and to provide insights into what enablers can be used to overcome existing barriers. Taking, as a starting point, a systematic literature review, this paper presents a categorization of barriers and enablers for the adoption of sustainable manufacturing by manufacturing SMEs. In total, seven categories for classifying the barriers and enablers for the adoption of sustainable manufacturing within SMEs were identified: organizational, managerial and attitudinal; informational; governmental; financial; training and skills development; market and business context; and technological. Additionally, this study elaborates on what barriers could be mitigated through the enablers. This study found specific enablers with the potential to mitigate a significantly higher number of barriers and referred to them as ‘critical enablers’. SMEs aiming to adopt sustainable manufacturing practices or improve their sustainability performance are encouraged to focus on the enablers in these categories. This paper synthesizes and facilitates interpretation of the existing body of evidence on barriers and enablers for adopting sustainable manufacturing in SMEs.

Increased sustainability awareness among consumers and other stakeholders has created a challenging environment for manufacturers. In order to remain in current markets it is expected from manufacturer's operations to be conscious about their impact on sustainability issues. The paper reports on a systematic review which examines sustainability practices in manufacturing companies. The systematic review aims to identify empirical-based papers to pinpoint sustainability issues addressed within manufacturing industry. To do so, trending topic categories were identified for each sustainability dimension (environment, people and profit). This paper provides further direction for future research.

Magnesium with two-thirds of the density compared to aluminium and one-quarter of steel, intrigues product developers and material scientists due to the light metal’s excellent combination of strength to weight ratio as well as their capability of being produced as a High Pressure Die Cast component compared to other ferrous or light metal alloys.

However, a magnesium alloy inherits some concerning drawbacks, limiting the exploitation in structural applications and mechanical design such as automotive, heavy machinery and aerospace components. The need for a magnesium alloy that could withstand a sufficient amount of wear, temperature and corrosive environment, leads towards the investigation and evaluation of a suitable, functional coating as a solution to exploit the evident advantages a magnesium alloy exhibits. A substantial amount of research is required in order to reduce an existing knowledge gap that is the ongoing development in the search for a sufficient functional coating and adherence capability to the highly reactive substrate that is a magnesium alloy.

This industrial master thesis is an early stage investigation to evaluate how the currently used aluminium substrate with an electrodeposited coating relate and compares to a heat-treated electroless deposited coating through tribological and thermophysical induced stresses. These properties are tested with proven industrial standard methods resulted in a comprehensive conclusion and discussion regarding the feasibility of applying the coating onto a commercial magnesium alloy closely related to the Mg-alloy developed by Husqvarna and thereby contributing to technological advances to the highly relevant topic within product development in materials engineering.

In a time where digitalization is becoming more and more necessary to work with, tools such as simulation is becoming more of a standard to be able to make decisions made on facts. Within previous research there is a gap in the research, as the factors enabling operators to use simulation is an unexplored topic. Therefore, to fill this gap and provide the industry with help, this study fulfills the purpose: 

Create a framework for enabling operators to use simulation for continuous improvements. 

By looking at the different areas in the production and identifying challenges within the production, information handling between the departments and the structure of the company, the purpose of this study is fulfilled. The purpose was achieved through the usage of two research questions. 

What are the challenges in practice for enabling operators to use simulation for continuous improvements? 

How can these challenges be overcome, to enable operators to use simulation for continuous improvements? 

To answer the research questions, a case study was performed alongside a literature review. The case study consisted of interviews performed at a case company within the automotive industry. The gathered empirical and theoretical data was then analyzed trough a thematic analysis. 

The conclusion of this study was that, for enabling operators to use simulation for continuous improvements, companies must first have the right organizational structure, were a foundation for continuous improvement is present. The reason for this being that if a company desires to work with simulation tools, they must first work in an environment where suggestions and improvements are supported. 

The project '’Concept development of a foldable vehicle barrier’’ was done in cooperation with the company Weland Stål AB in Ulricehamn, they are a developer and producer of solar panel-mounts, facade ladders and railings among other things. This thesis is part of their efforts to expand their assortment to include products for use in the traffic environment. This thesis explored what requirements and standards are demanded of vehicle barriers, that are used to keep traffic out of certain areas such as pedestrian streets. Beyond that the report will also see the delivery of a concept of a barrier that includes the ability to be folded to allow passage of authorized vehicles to pass through without the use of motors or electronics.

The thesis will cover the investigation into what requirements are put up by standardization organizations, municipalities, police authorities and government branches. Since there did not exist any official requirements, are the ones listed in this thesis derived from requirements put on products used in similar environments. The process used to develop the barrier and its ground mounting is also included in this report. The concept was modeled in Solidworks in order to be able to simulate it and then develop the drawings and files needed to produce it in Weland Ståls facilities.

The result of this work is an active barrier constructed out of rectangular pipe profiles assembled in a L-shape. It functions by redirecting the forces of a collision unto the undercarriage of the vehicle that crashed into it instead of absorbing the force, which is how most conventual barriers operate. It can let through authorized vehicles by being unlocked and then folded unto the ground. The integration of a street sign into the design of the barrier allows it to visually blend into its surroundings. The final part of the work was the production of a physical prototype as a test of the adaptation to the production capabilities of Weland Stål and as a visualization tool.

The thesis ends with some recommendations for further work in the area around the barrier itself and the standardization work surrounding vehicle barriers.

Currently, customers are exerting a lot of pressure on companies by demanding for best product quality, customized products, reduced product lead time and reliable product delivery. Therefore, for companies to be highly competitive, there is need to improve productivity and delivery performance by having an efficient material flow. Nevertheless, the task of making the material to flow efficiently throughout the manufacturing process up to when the customer receives the product is not easy. To solve this, companies are focusing on the material handling system as it has an impact on efficient material flow and productivity. Hence, the aim of this project was to explore how an internal material handling system can be improved to guarantee a better delivery performance.

To fulfil the aim, a single case study was undertaken at a dairy food producing company in Jonkoping. The information on the subject area was obtained through interviews, observation at the company and an extensive literature review. The information that was obtained was assessed in accordance with the framework of the project that includes; principles and physical elements used for designing a material handling system, software and information, and human and management.

Combined analysis of the findings from the empirical study and the extensive literature review helped to identify the problems faced in an internal material handling system of the company. This was followed by identifying ways of improving material handling system and thereafter, improvement suggestions were made targeting enhancement of the delivery performance of the system.

In conclusion, the findings indicate that improvement of an internal material handling system does not only depend on improving the physical attributes of the system, far from it, it is more dependent on having an efficient and effective information system. Another factors that came out is that there should be a proper integration of the material handling system and the workers operating the system. From a systems perspective this research has added information sharing and human and management to the one dimensional physical elements improvement of a material handling system.

På senare år har alltmer fokus lagts på att strömlinjeforma försörjningskedjor. Att ha lager och lagerställen ses mer och mer som slöseri med resurser. Det är dock svårt att helt eliminera behovet av lager och lagerställen i försörjningskedjor. Syftet med lagerhantering är att erbjuda service till kunden genom att hålla det kunden efterfrågar i lager för att snabbt kunna leverera det till kunden då behov uppstår. Lagerhantering kan alltså vara ett viktigt konkurrensmedel.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att med utgångspunkt i den befintliga lagerhanteringen analysera möjliga förändringar av lagerhanteringen för att kunna öka kapaciteten på Aero Materiel AB. Aero Materiel är ett grossistföretag som omsätter drygt femtio miljoner kronor om året. Företaget säljer lucktillbehör som till exempel gångjärn, snabblås, lister och korgmuttrar. Aero Materiel har som mål att dubbla sin omsättning och behöver därför se över möjligheterna att öka kapaciteten i lagerhanteringen för att kunna möta framtida behov.

För att uppnå syftet används följande frågeställningar:

• Hur bedrivs lagerhanteringen på Aero Materiel och vilka metoder tillämpas för lagerhantering på Aero Materiel?
• Vilka andra metoder för lagerhantering finns det som kan vara lämpliga för Aero Materiel?
• På vilket sätt kan dessa andra metoder förbättra Aero Materiels lagerhantering?

För att kunna svara på frågeställningarna har litteratur kring ämnet lagerhantering studerats. Intervjuer och observationer har genomförts på Aero Materiels för att kunna beskriva företagets verksamhet, och hur lagerhanteringen bedrivs. Även en tidsstudie har genomförts. Två liknande företag har besökts för att kunna identifiera andra metoder för lagerhantering.

På Aero Materiel hanteras dagligen mellan 10 och 70 orderrader. Lagerpersonalen utför lagerhanteringsaktiviteterna godsmottagning, inlagring, orderplockning, paketering och utleverans. Aktiviteterna orderplockning och paketering står för över 50 % av lagerpersonalens tid.

Under kartläggningen av lagerhanteringen på Aero Materiel och de båda företagsbesöken har flera områden med förbättringspotential identifierats: variation av antal orderrader beroende på veckodag, tidsåtgång för paketering, räkning av artiklar, artikelhämtning vid orderplockning och vägning av artiklar.

Genom olika utjämningsprinciper kan variationen av antalet orderrader beroende på veckodag reduceras. Genom att sänka kvalitetskraven kan tidsåtgången för paketering minskas. Genom att införskaffa en paketeringsmaskin kan behovet att räkna artiklar minska. Genom att investera i någon form av automatiserat lager kan artikelhämtningen vid orderplockning underlättas. Genom att lägga in uppgifter om artiklarnas vikt i affärssystemet kan behoven av att väga artiklar minskas.

Purpose -- This study investigates the inefficiencies in warehouse outbound logistics,

focusing on how lean tools and strategic planning can improve efficiency. Identifying

the main issues in the loading process and ways to make the operations more sustainable

and more effective.

Method -- The study has chosen a major electronics retailer central warehouse in the

Nordic region as a case study. The required data for this research will be collected

using qualitative methods like interviews, observations, and document analysis. Lean

tools were used to identify inefficiencies and analyze the process to answer the paper's

research questions.

Findings -- The study found warehouse inefficiencies such as truck conditions,

packaging, and communications, would be improved by implementing Lean tools such

as 8 wastes, 5S, and Standard Operating Procedures. Better strategic planning has shown

potential improvement for last-minute orders and quality checks.

Implications -- The study has presented some solutions regarding the inefficiencies

that would help the warehouse improve planning for variation of truck conditions

and packaging issues, and enhance collaboration. The study outcome would help improve

productivity and the efficiency of the operation.

Limitations -- The study was conducted in one case company with a major warehouse

which would require more data collection especially quantitative that would add more

accuracy of the inefficiencies. The inefficiencies and recommendations given in the

study might not apply to a similar-sized enterprise.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to evaluate job profiles in humanitarian logistics, and assess current task priorities in light of further training and educational needs.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents findings from a survey among humanitarian logistics practitioners and compares these to other studies in this area. It uses econometric models to evaluate the impact of managerial responsibilities in training needs, usage of time and previous training.

Findings – The results show that the skills required in humanitarian logistics seem to follow the T-shaped skills model from Mangan and Christopher when looking at training wanted and time usage.

Research limitations/implications – Survey respondents being members of the Humanitarian Logistics Association (HLA) may be more interested in developing the humanitarian logistics profession than other populations.

Originality/value – This paper offers an insight in the specific skill requirements of humanitarian logisticians from members of the HLA and allows to understand which type of skills are linked to managerial responsibilities. The paper also establishes a link between logistics skill models and career progressions overall.

The purpose of this report is to document the experiments carried out, methods used and results gained during research into how the silicon content of an aluminium alloy affects the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).

The goal of this paper is to better understand and to find a relation between silicon content and the coefficient of thermal expansion.

Experiments were carried out using carefully prepared samples of Al Si alloys (0, 7, 10 and 20% Si content). Using these alloys, the CTE could be measured using a dilatometer.Comparative analysis carried out could map the effects of silicon content on the coefficient of thermal expansion and an equation was created. Using simple graphs and the rule of mixture method, the authors were able to build a simple tool for calculating the CTE of specific aluminum silicon alloys.

Investigating the Indian society, culture and truck market to develop a list of criteria (design brief) for an optimal truck for these markets. These criteria will be used as a starting point for the design process of designing the truck.

Investigations in Sweden (at Volvo) and in India (at Eicher).

Research conducted through design methods and interviews with stakeholders.

It is the goal of this thesis to create two examples of what a domestically built truck for the Indian market could be.

The purpose of the work is to analyze and balance an assembly line at Fläkt Woods in Jönköping. The work is going to answer the questions about today’s throughput time, how much waste that occurs, number of staff at the assembly line, how the supply of material works and possible improvements that can be made at the work stations. The work is also going to give a proposal of improve-ments that can be made.

The methods used to get the result include observations and measurements, con-versations with technicians and operators and also data from Fläkt Woods’ data-base.

Large variations in throughput time are measured during the measure period, from 3 hours up to 5 hours and 35 minutes. These variations depend mainly on the time the air handling unit spends between the stations. The identification of the bottleneck was shown that it occurred in the last station in the assembly line. This results in a pressure from the stations behind with a long throughput time as a con-sequence. The largest source of waste is the operators’ waiting time. The measures that have been made show that the operators wait 33.4 % on average of the time available. The number of operators varies from ten to twelve during the measure period. This number of operators is too high in consideration of the high waiting times. It results in difficulties for the operators to move between the stations be-cause every station is fully manned. The supply of larger components for example fans, batteries, rotary heat exchangers and dampers for the air handling units are made by a truck driver. This leads to disorder in the work stations and fixed posi-tions for a number of smaller components and tools go missing.

The analysis of the result shows that the pressure that occurs in the assembly line results in high throughput time because the units wait a long time between the stations. To eliminate these waiting times, a suction must be created. The difficul-ties for the operators to move between the stations can be solved with a lower number of operators. This makes it easier for the operators to move between the stations and reduce the waiting time for the operators.