It seems like outsourcing often does not live up to the expected results. Furthermore, sourcing decisions are often unplanned and improvised based upon insufficient short term foundation. Poor basis for sourcing decisions can lead to that some important factors, which can result in long term consequences, could get overlooked in the decision foundation.

The purpose of the master thesis is to create a structured decision process that could lead to a well balanced sourcing decision and apply this at Husqvarna AB.

The method used is a case study which includes a theoretical and an empirical study.

The decision process is based upon the theoretical framework and is structured as a number of activities. Each activity includes a number of questions that should be answered if a well balanced sourcing decision is to be made. The questions are developed so that they include all the factors that could be affected by outsourcing.

The case at Husqvarna AB was analyzed and evaluated by using the theoretical decision process. This showed how the decision process can be used by Husqvarna AB.

The conclusion of the thesis is that the purpose was fulfilled since a decision process was developed that could be applied at Husqvarna AB.

Increasing knowledge and suggesting new heat treatment parameters for improved very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) strength of austempered ductile iron (ADI) are the main purposes of this thesis. The work was performed within Epiroc a mining and infrastructure company. They have performed internal research on VHCF properties of ADI had previously for one set of heat treatment parameters. The scientific community in contrast have extensively studied fatigue properties of ADI in the low to high cycle regime (≤10⁸ cycles) but only scarcely in the VHCF regime (>10⁸ cycles). Therefor the thesis is built upon the hypothesis: ‘Improvements in HCF strength should also mean improvements in VHCF strength’. Enabling utilization of published research on heat treatment effects on fatigue strength in the HCF regime (≥10⁷ cycles).

Finding an efficient way of exploring heat treatment parameters and their effects on the given Cu-Ni-Mo ADI alloy were a main objective. Thus, finding mechanical- and material properties characteristic for high cycle fatigue strength in the HCF regime became crucial. The potential in using these properties to develop and execute an experimental plan to evaluate heat treatments, yet minimizing the amount of fatigue testing required.

The first step was identifying the heat treatment parameters (and parameter ranges) that showed high HCF strength, which are: Austempering temperature (T_aus), austempering time (t_aus) and austenitization temperature (T_γ). Then finding the characteristic mechanical- and material properties for said high HCF strength material, found to be: high- ductility, unnotched impact energy and volume fraction of carbon stabilized austenite (VRA). With both heat treatment parameters, mechanical- and material properties distinctive of high HCF strength material an experimental plan was developed based on a full factorial design (2³). The factorial design was chosen for its simplicity and inherent strengths, especially as both individual and interaction effects can be estimated for all factors (heat treatment parameters). Two levels (2³), one high and one low, for each of the three factors (2³) were determined necessary, giving a total of 8 heat treatment trials. The primary response variables of interest (evaluated properties) for each heat treatment trial were: ductility, unnotched impact energy and volume fraction of carbon stabilized austenite. Meaning usage of the following tests: Tensile testing, impact energy testing, and X-ray diffraction. Specimens for testing were extracted from austempered Y-block type III, initially cast by a commercial foundry with an Epiroc specified chemical composition. The main and interaction effects from the heat treatment parameters on the response variables were both calculated and visually determined. The experimental data was validated against literature found data for similar heat treatments. The evaluated experimental results showed good correlation with literature for the given chemical composition. Ultimately resulting in recommendations for a new heat treatment parameters for improved high cycle fatigue strength.

ESBE AB is a company with a long history that develops and sells plumbing and heating related products. Their products possess a markedly high quality and reliability along with a strong focus on their design language. The purpose of this thesis is to update this design language and produce three concepts that describes how it could be done. The thesis was carried out as a concept study, using a product development process to structure the work. The theories, methods and how those methods were carried out are also described. A large part of the study was dedicated to preliminary work which studied the history of the company, its brand strategy as well as the products position on the market in order to create a comprehensive basis for the concept generation phase and the concept selection phase. The study produced three final concepts that were presented to responsible parties at the company. All three concepts were considered to have potential for future implementation. ESBE intends to, after evaluation, eventually have one or several concepts be realized by a consulting firm that would produce prototypes and prepare for production. 

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. 

In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on streamlining the supply chain. Keeping inventory and warehouses is considered to be a waste of resources. It is however difficult to completely eliminate the need for inventory and warehouses in a supply chain. The purpose of warehousing is to provide a service for the customer. By keeping what the customer demands in inventory it is possible to make a quick delivery when a need arises. Warehousing can thus be an important competitive tool.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to analyse possible changes of the warehousing at Aero Materiel in order to increase the capacity of Aero Materiel’s warehousing. Aero Materiel is a wholesale company with an annual turnover that exceeds fifty million SEK. The company sells accessories for hatches and panels, such as hinges, quick access fasteners, bars and cage nuts. Aero Materiel aims to double their turnover and therefore look at ways to increase the capacity of the warehousing in order to meet future needs.

To achieve the purpose of this thesis, the following questions have been answered.

• How is warehousing executed today at Aero Materiel and which methods are used at Aero Materiel?
• Which other methods for warehousing exist that could be suitable for Aero Materiel?
• In which way could these other methods improve the warehousing at Aero Materiel?

Interviews and observations have been carried out at Aero Materiel in order to describe the company and its operations, and in order to describe how the warehousing is conducted. Literature on the subject of warehousing has been studied in order to help answer the thesis questions. A time study has been conducted. Two similar companies have been visited with the purpose of identifying other methods for warehousing.

Aero Materiel handles between 10 and 70 order lines per day. The warehousing personnel perform the following warehousing activities: Receiving, putaway, order picking, packaging and shipping. The warehousing personnel spend more than 50% of their time on order picking and packaging.

Several areas with potential for improvement at Aero Materiel were identified during the mapping of the warehousing at Aero Materiel and the visits at the two other companies: the variation of order lines from day to day, the time required for packaging, counting of items, transportation during order picking and the weighing of items.

The variation of order lines from day to day can be reduced by applying different principles of levelling. By lowering the demands for quality it is possible to reduce the time needed for packaging. Order picking can be made easier by investing in some form of automated storage system. The need for weighing articles can be reduced by keeping information of the item’s weight in the ERP-system.

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.

Detta 20-poängs projekt på D-nivå har genomförts som en fallstudie på Kinnarps AB i syfte att utveckla en prognostiseringsprocess. Processen ska förbättra framförhållningen och underlätta planering på medellång sikt. Efter att undersökt de problem som upplevs på Kinnarps utvecklade vi följande problemformulering:

Hur ser prognostiseringsarbetet ut på Kinnarps idag?

Hur bör en generell prognostiseringsprocess utformas?

Hur kan prognostiseringsprocessen anpassas till Kinnarps?

En kartläggning av de berörda avdelningarna utfördes för att besvara den första frågan. Kartläggningen genomfördes genom intervjuer av personer på marknads-, produktions-, inköps- och leveranslogistikavdelningen, även återförsäljare intervjuades då de har kontakt med slutkunden och kunskap om marknaden. Flera problem som påträffades kan vara orsakade av Kinnarps korta framförhållning, som överbeläggning i produktionen, hög fyllnadsgrad i lager 5 och lång ledtid. Det finns tecken på brist i kommunikation mellan avdelningarna vilket leder till att alla planerar för att optimera sin egen avdelning och glömmer att se till helheten. Ett ytterliggare problem är att det inte finns en funktion med ansvar för att planera på medellång sikt.

En litteraturstudie genomfördes för att kunna utveckla en generell prognostiseringsprocess, resultatet blev en cyklisk process som är uppdelad i fyra delprocesser, avvikelseuppföljning, efterfrågeprocessen, prognosförmedling samt processförbättring. För att prognostiseringsprocessen ska överleva och utvecklas anser vi att det bör finnas en prognosansvarig och innan processen kan implementeras måste parametrarna för prognosen bestämmas.

Den anpassade processen till Kinnarps innehåller samma fyra delprocesser. En diskussion har förts kring vilka parametrar som vore lämpliga som grund till processen. Då Kinnarps inte har någon taktisk framförhållning idag anser vi att de bör börja prognostisera med en horisont på ett år, indelad i kvartalsperioder då den ska uppdateras och utvärderas. Detta är lämpligt då indelningen passar med budgetåret och säsongsvariationerna samt att de med den framförhållningen kan hinna genomföra förändringar i kapacitet. Som underlag till prognosen bör de använda sig av försäljningshistorik från affärssystemet och säljkårsuppfattning från återförsäljare och marknadsexperter. Prognoserna bör göras på en produktmodellnivå, som sedan ska kunna brytas ner på artikelnivå i systemet.

Prognostiseringsprocessen är ett lämpligt sätt att utveckla samarbetet och integreringen mellan Kinnarps avdelningar då de bör stödja varandra för att förbättra för företaget som helhet. Användandet av en prognostiseringsprocess skulle ge Kinnarps ett bättre underlag för kapacitetsplanering av maskiner och personal i produktionen. Det skulle även kunna ge inköpare bättre förutsättningar vid avtalsförhandling hos leverantörer och bättre leveranssäkerhet. Leveranslogistik skulle kunna planera sina resurser bättre och marknadsavdelningen och återförsäljarna skulle kunna lova sina kunder kortare ledtider vilket skulle ge den konkurrensfördelar.

This report is a final thesis project written at the Technical University of Jönköping and was done in cooperation with the company Sundström Safety AB. The project discussed in this report is about product development, where two concepts are to be developed from two existing lightweight hoods SR 561 and SR 562. Lightweight hoods are a protective device used in critical environments. Lightweight hoods are used in chemical environments to protect the user from the hazardous environment. The current products are considered to be slightly hard to use in case of equipping and removing the products, and therefore Sundström Safety AB wants to develop new concepts for these two products.

Standards that restrict and claim the product are specified by the company and a literature review is made on these to define the requirements on the product. These requirements are compiled and on the basis of them, concepts are created by following the design process. Different methods such as brainstorming and idea sketching are used to generate concepts that are then screened with screening methods such as Pugh's matrix.

After only two concepts remain, a concept for a reusable lightweight hood and a one- time use hood concept, a final prototype is made. This prototype is made on the reusable concept as it has the most features. The prototype is manufactured using 3D printing as well as other plastic details.

The concepts created in this report may be used for Sundström Safety AB in the development of the current products. The concepts can give an idea of how new products can be developed and inspires to new solutions of the lightweight hoods. 

This thesis is carried out at Portsystem 2000 AB who manufactures and markets industrial doors and docking systems. The background to this thesis is that the company’s management considers that their follow-up process of cost accounts is not fully functioning.

The aim with this report is to investigate and describe the present procedure of the follow-up process concerning the time of operations and come up with suggestions for improvements. This thesis is performed within the range of the following areas: Information systems, quality, processes and cost calculation. The main method we used were semi structured interviews with a fairly opened framework. We also did a small-scale quantitative survey. The results from our investigation are that Portsystem lacks in the following matters:

• Communication between the parts of the information system

• Formulated routines for handling of divergence

• Mapping of causes for divergence

• Reliability in the information system

Our conclusions are that Portsystem first of all need to put effort in doing an extensive revision of the present time estimations for the products with existing cost accounts. They should also examine the possibilities of making the enterprise system communicate with the MRP–system. More frequently executed calculations are a way of improving the precision in the cost estimations. We also consider that Portsystem should put effort in examine the distinguishable causes for divergence and take them into account during the follow-up process.

The thesis is including the product development process and it carried out on a Husqvarna Product to improve the function and design. By performing a preliminary study, competitor analysis, brainstorming and development of different concepts, a prototype could be developed. By testing the concepts, a basis for the evaluation process was created. The concepts that had the best performance were combined and implemented in the final prototype. These were then documented as suggestions for improvements in the report. Small and profitable improvements to the product's design were presented in the report's results and discussion chapter.

This thesis is part of a bigger project, ORTO - roughly translated to optimized resource efficient manufacturing of orthoses. During the manufacturing of orthopedic aids many different methods are used to manufacture individually adjusted products. Processes, methods and material may vary depending on what end product is going to be produced. The knowledge of how the manufacturing affects the employees long term is not complete from a health-oriented perspective. The purpose of this thesis is to map out the manufacturing processes for rigid and hinged molded ankle-foot orthoses made primarily from carbon fibre composite. This will then be used to identify the potential sources of exposure of hazardous materials that can lead to health issues. To answer the problem statements theory about process mapping has been gathered and observations in the shape of video recordings have been done at Borås Orthotics to map out the current situation, in addition to interviews. The purpose of the process mapping was also to identify potential sources of emission where exposure to hazardous materials was evident. Theory and research about these materials has been gathered about the potential health issues. The exposure times from the sources of emissions has been compiled from the video recordings, where it was deemed to be four possible sources, in the form of dry carbon fibre bands, casting with poly methyl methacrylate, sanding and gluing. The exposure times and the sources of emission has been analyzed and compared with theory and research to investigate if there was any possible health hazards. The discussion has most importantly been about how the manufacturing of hazardous materials can affect the employees in terms of health and how the exposure times can be reduced. The conclusion is that certain sources of emissions run a greater risk to affect the employees negatively and certain measures might be in order to in terms of changing how the work is performed. It might be worth some reconstruction to make the work place safer in addition to reviewing certain methods. In general the regulations are a good idea to abide by since they are intended to prevent exposure for employees that work materials such as carbon fibers. Other practical suggestions of how to reduce the exposure to hazardous materials are included. An example of this could be to install a mirror solution in the fume cupboard at the casting process or to look at the routines and the work methods applied at the sanding process. The regulations should also be compared to how the work is currently performed and applied according to the work environment regulations.

IoT- technology, Internet of Things, is a fast-growing business, it means that more and more products, clothes, even people are provided with sensors that can communicate and perceive the surroundings to create a smarter community. For companies to keep up to date, it is essential to continuously provide products with better components and reduced size. To stand out further, companies should provide revolutionary products, with totally new feature. One of these ideas, of a new kind of product with special features, have been investigated and developed in this thesis.

The thesis has been conducted with the company CombiQ, located in Jönköping, Sweden. The product that was going to be developed was an industrial sensor, that uses the technology of IIoT, Industrial Internet of Things, that the company develops. At the time when this project took place, CombiQ did not sell any own product, only the technology that was placed inside the products.

To develop the industrial sensor for CombiQ, not only the functions of the product had to be investigated, further the brand had to be analyzed to create a design expression reflecting the company.

Through implement several tools and methods, from among other things the product development process and design thinking, a concept of an industrial sensor is presented that fulfill the specific requirements and functions. Where the main-feature is that the sensor should be a modular solution to be adjusted for the specific need of the clients. Furthermore, during the project a visual brand language with design guidelines have been developed to reflect the design aspects of the company CombiQ. Design guidelines can be used for further product for the company in the same manners, which also has been displayed by developing design concept of the rest of the industrial sensor that counts to the same product family as the modular sensor. 

This study is performed as a final thesis project at School of engineering, Jönköping University in collaboration with the Professional electric department at Husqvarna. The purpose of the study was to develop a concept proposal that improves the performance of a battery-powered handheld product by developing a new component.

By evaluating and analyzing the existing product and by discussions with the Husqvarna supervisors, a construction criteria list was created with the requirements to be met. A literature study was conducted to gather information, which gave a broader basis for further work.

To find a potential solution, a conceptual study was conducted in the form of a brainstorming process. This process resulted in a couple of concepts which were evaluated and screened by the methods "Go / No-Go" and "Pugh's matrix". After evaluation and by simpler tests, a concept was elaborated further and developed into a final prototype.

Thule Sweden AB is a company that develops products to facilitate people's adventures. The companyfocuses on various transport solutions where products are offered in four product categories which areSports and Cargo Carriers, Active with Kids, RV Products and Packs, Bags and Luggage. Thecategories consist of everything from roof racks, roof boxes, bicycle carts and strollers to tents for RVsand caravans and backpacks for everyday life.A problem that Thule Sweden AB has identified is the limited opportunity to bring important objectswith you on your bike. The pursuit of a possible solution would, in the company's opinion, be a newconcept for transport where a bicycle could be used. This is due to an increase in the number ofcyclists in all possible areas. With an increasing number of cyclists, new needs and problems alwaysarise at the same time as the company wants to explore a potential development of the existingpackage holder "Tour Rack" in the product collection. The result of the new concept would mean thatit would be integrated with the package holder, where new transport options could be created.The report covers the steps taken to find a solution to enable the transport of objects that have beenidentified as difficult to carry on a bicycle. This has been done with the help of a product developmentprocess where a lot of focus has been on the customer's wishes and needs. Initially, a boot camp wasconducted to identify the target group and possible objects that cyclists considered difficult to bring.This step led to the establishment of a requirements- and function specification, which was the basisfor the generation of several different concepts. The concepts were eliminated and decisions onfurther development were made where one concept was considered to be the best according to theboot camp. The concept was developed step by step and verified using physical prototypes and tests.The tests consisted of assembling manufactured prototypes with the desired objects, which were thenintegrated with the package holder. This was done to ensure the function of the concept.Through this process, the study resulted in a concept where an H-shaped geometry is integrated withthe package holder "Tour Rack". The concept has three integration points in form of screws thatenable an easy mounting process and a functionally stable concept for transport. Securing of objectstakes place by the user tightening two straps over the placed object which attaches softly between tworubber surfaces.

The separation of technology development (TD) and product development (PD) is adding to the challenge that suppliers face. They are to conduct long term TD and at the same time tailor products when the order arrives. This paper proposes a platform approach in order to describe some conceptual knowledge. An example from the automotive business where early simulations of concepts are performed during TD is presented. The focus is on how these simulations can support the transfer of knowledge from TD to PD and how they are to be described in order to communicate the technology’s ability to adapt.

System suppliers, e.g. original equipment suppliers, are important for the success of many products. They design a unique solution, often in close collaboration with other companies, based on different product concepts and/or core technologies. The solution can then be manufactured in different quantities depending on the client’s need. High level of customization is required as the interfaces are not standardized, the performance is not negotiable, requirements are not initially fixed and the specific system interacts with, is affected by, or affects other systems that are simultaneously developed. A system supplier commonly designs and manufactures solutions for different OEMs and must support many models and variants in their product portfolios. Efficiency, short lead-time, continuous technology development, and adaptability are essential for the competitive edge. A product platform approach has been a success for many companies to enable variety at low cost, however, it is not applicable for system suppliers. This work describes the result from a case study where a platform approach enabling a new way of structuring, publishing and managing design assets and processes was introduced at a company with the purpose to improve the ability to respond to changing requirements in the quotation process and the subsequent product development activities.

Companies developing highly customized products within the supplier industry are continuously faced with fluctuating requirements during both the quotation process and continued development. This research proposes a platform approach to aid suppliers when modularity or platform scalability do not suffice. The platform approach, Design Platform, focuses on descriptions that not only contain information about tangible components and systems but also information, knowledge and methods supporting the actual design of the product. A support system called Design Platform Manager has been developed to aid in using the platform approach and is introduced at a supplier active in the automotive industry. The system enables creation of generic product items that can be structured and instantiated to become product variants as well as Design Elements that are blocks of knowledge that describe a design or supports the activity of designing. A first evaluation is made that overall shows good result according to the company representatives.

Product platforms has been widely accepted in industry as a means to reach both high product variety while maintaining business efficiency. For suppliers of highly customised products, however, the development of a platform based upon predefined modules is a challenge. This is due to the large differ-ences between the various systems their products are to be integrated into and the customer's individual preferences. What is common for most platform descriptions is the high level of concretisation, such as predefined modules, they are built upon, but how can companies act when that is not possible? Are there other principles that can be used for the definition of a product platform? This paper presents a concept to incorporate other types of descriptions of different levels of concretisation into a product platform. Parts of the concept has been realised in a computer support tool and tested at a case company in order to improve their quotation process.

In the initial stage, the sample preparation was done by using the techniques of Anodic etching and anodic forming processes where a repeated trial and error method of sample preparation headed towards making out a suitable sample set for characterization. After this step, the set of 2 different industrial samples were introduced and anodic oxide forming process was carried out in different electrolytes.

 In the sample preparations, 4 different electrolytes were used 15% wt. Ammonium Adiphate, 1.5% wt. Ammonium Phosphate, 7% wt. Boric acid and 15% Penta Borate at different stages for performing the anodic oxide forming process. Minimum forming voltages of 20V to a maximum of 100V was employed in the sample preparation and to overcome the waiting time in forming the etched samples a higher current of 0.5A was used.

After the samples preparation, Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy was used as a tool for characterising the various groups of samples and for observing the micro structures of various samples, they were fractured and the observed on the cross section by SEM.

After the analysis of the etched samples was made, an attempt to compare the results of the data of these samples to that of the 2 set of industrial samples was made and found that the resultant data wasn’t stable enough to characterize since huge scattering were occurring and whereby the simulation of the CPE circuit for the chosen circuit in the analysis was not possible.

Under the analysis, a randomly chosen industrial sample was also used and the resultant data was utilised in understanding the response of the system to different electrolytes.

In today’s fierce and competitive market, industrial companies are challenged to deliver new products with high quality and short lead time in a cost-effective manner. To do so companies need to utilize effective product development processes and efficient production procedures. One way for industrial companies to connect these two key aspects can be through the implementation of new and impactful DFMA practices in their product development process. By gathering and analyzing available theories from the well-researched area of DFMA combined with firsthand empirical data from an industrial company, this master thesis aims to explore how DFMA can be used in the conceptual phase of the product development process and how it may influence the result.

The findings showcase a clear need for DFMA to be an integral part of the day-to-day work in early product development, as well as a lack of non-evaluative tools and methods applicable in the conceptual phase of the product development process. Based on the theoretical findings and empirical data, a DFMA-thinking framework has been developed to help bring DFMA into top of mind in the day-to-day work of design engineers. Furthermore, implementing the DFMA-thinking framework in collaboration with an industrial company shows positive benefits in manufacturability and assemblability of the developed concept compared to standard practices, along with potential economic benefits as a result of more efficient production. 

By adapting this DFMA-thinking framework into day-to-day operations, industrial companies can effectively decrease potential manufacturing and assembly issues and meet the needs of the fast-paced market. 

This investigation’s task was to map manufacturing of special qualities at Stora Enso Packaging under a certain period, analyze if rules concerning special qualities is followed, which consequences this results in concerning use of paper, waste and costs and to give suggestions on alternative solutions. The goal was to give sugges-tions that help the company to reach its business ratio that the production de-partment uses within use of paper and productivity in the corrugated cardboard machine.

Stora Enso Packaging is a part of the forest group Stora Enso and is one of Swe-den’s leading producers of corrugated cardboard. Stora Enso Packaging acts pri-mary on the Swedish market, where they have a market share of 25 %.

To be able to analyze orders with special qualities we did a data collection during two months, where we mapped incoming orders. The period for this mapping was set to 1 February – 31 March 2006. It was considered enough to see it as an aver-age for the whole year, as there were no mentionable season variations.

There is given written rules for special qualities in Stora Enso Packaging’s manual for quality standard. The rules say that an order shall be at least 5000 m2. 177 of 270 orders in our investigation were less than 5000 m2, while 93 orders fulfilled the demands. The result clearly shows that most of the orders are not following the rules, which is quite remarkable considering the importance of effective plan-ning of the corrugated cardboard in the machine.

One of Stora Enso Packaging’s four business ratio in the production department is the use of paper. Therefore we examined the use of paper for every single order dur-ing the data collection period and we show the result in three diagrams, partly for all orders and partly for orders over respectively under 5000 m2. The result shows that all orders that have a use of paper less than 50 % has also fewer than 5000 m2. It also shows that most of the orders have a use of paper between 91 100 %.

The additional cost for the waste of corrugated cardboard was 83 % higher in SEK for orders over 5000 m2, compared with order under the same square meter limit. An important comparison is that orders over 5000 m2 are 7 times bigger in square meters than orders under 5000 m2. Of this comparison one can see that the addi-tional cost is bigger per ordered square meter for orders under 5000 m2. Further-more, the same indication shows when we compared the additional cost for waste with the revenue for every single order. Order under 5000 m2 shows a result of 12,5 %, while the same result for orders over 5000 m2 is 9,5 %. This shows an indi-cation of that orders under 5000 m2 increases the costs and decreases the productiv-ity in the plant.

This report consists of a conceptual development of a car awning, in collaboration with the company Thule. The main objective with was to create a convenient and easy-to-use awning, which offers a universal fastening solution for cars. Among others, the research done includes an analysis of the current market and observations to use as a basis to compile the requirement specification and function analysis. Furthermore, a moodboard and methods such as Kansei engineering was used to put emphasis on the design and aesthetics.

The results display a conceptual solution to an awning that can be attached to any car that supports the use of a Thule roof rack with a T-track feature. It is easy to assemble, mount and use, with many options to be adjusted to the like of the user. High quality renders are presented, along with a full-scale prototype of the awning. 

Research gathered in this report contributes to the field by presenting solutions forconvenience, usability, and adjustability regarding similar products. Discussion is had regarding the importance of these features, as well as the difficulties that exist when creating a product like this. Further work includes even more solutions to make the awning fully universal, as well as more resistance to different weather conditions.

Detta examensarbete är utfört på Saab Training Systems AB i Huskvarna. Saab Training Systems utvecklar, tillverkar och säljer kompletta militära träningssystem.

Syftet med arbetet var att minska ledtiderna, då korta leveranstider blir ett allt viktigare konkurrensmedel. Arbetet innebar en kartläggning av nuvarande reserv- och reparationsflöde samt att identifiera problem och komma fram till förbättringsförslag.

Vidare har vi studerat reservdelslagrets lagernivå och dess kapitalbindning.

Arbetet genomfördes med hjälp av intervjuer med berörd personal, observationer, enkätundersökning samt statistiska studier. Vi har även arbetat med Supply Chain Operations Reference Model som är en öppen referensmodell med vars hjälp man kan kartlägga, förändra och optimera sin verksamhet.

Saab Training Systems har som mål att ledtiderna för reservdelsflödet och reparationsflödet skall vara 14 dagar, men i själva verket är det inte så. Dessa ledtider är idag längre, hur långa är dock oklart.

De långa ledtiderna beror främst på att i flödena förekommer det mycket passiv tid. Tiden uppstår bland annat i väntan på transport men även som en konsekvens av att företaget för tillfället har mycket att göra.

För att reducera ledtiderna bör Saab Training Systems i första hand reducera den passiva tiden.

Saab Training Systems bör sänka sina lagernivåer för att frigöra bundet kapital vilket leder till att de minskar risken att produkterna minskar i värde eller blir inkuranta.

This report presents a final thesis in product development and design at Jönköping University. The mission was to design a new hinge for glasses. The report is written by Alice Avestedt and Anton Hedström.

In the start of the project a pre-study was made on the topic to increase the understanding and to get inspiration from earlier solutions. To create new solutions, the writers looked for similar movements and products in other fields except glasses. This helped making it easier to create new solutions and think outside the box. To gather the information and make it easy to view the writers created both an image board and an idea board.

After the pre-study the idea and concept generation was made. This part of the work focused on getting solutions to the problem. With help from the idea and image board five concepts was created that was chosen to keep improving. To further test the function and movements of the components mock-ups was created. For concepts that required CAD models, they were created in Solid Works.

When the concepts were done the writers selected which one to keep working with. The purpose was to find the concept which most fulfilled the requirements from the company. To help make this decision a Pugh’s matrix was used. Here the requirements were weighted based on importance and the concepts were compared to each other.

The result was a new hinge which can be used on titanium glasses and has a new design solution. 

Saab Training Systems (STS) in Huskvarna is manufacturing material for educationalpurposes to armies worldwide. They are now implementing parts of the Lean productionconcept in their organisation.One part of the work with Lean production is to eliminate waste. To be able to identify waste,value stream mapping is a good tool and also what we used in our thesis. To gain a betterefficiency in the production of Personnel Detector Device (PDD) flow was one of our goals.The PDD is a harness used during battle training which registers if the user is being hit by itsenemy.Our work with the thesis started up with a short education in Lean production and in valuestream mapping (VSM). The work proceeded with a VSM of the production flow of the PDD,interviews were made and studies of literature were done to gain greater knowledge of thesubject and solve the task.The VSM resulted in five areas which were followed up out of those six we identified. Theareas were as followed: to examine why the reliability in a test chamber were down at 83percent, look over batch size and setup time, find out whether two workstations that wereusing the same equipment should be separated or not and also look through the existing layoutand create a new.The results from this were that what took down the reliability in the test chamber was isolatedto a few things which were followed through and visualized in a Pareto diagram.Big batch sizes as a result of few start ups of the order which now will be changed in to moredaily start ups with the actual demand in mind. The setup time is a big part of the change inbatch size. Valuable process time is lost as the operators have to collect material which isbeing needed for the assembling of the products. STS is now going to follow up the processand se how to make for changes.The two stations sharing the same equipment is a kind of a problem in the material flow asproducts some times get stacked up here. To solve this problem the only solution is toseparate them into two different work stations. This will affect the layout in the factory andtherefore a layout for the future was created from the results which are presented above andtheory of how to create a layout.Our work at STS resulted in that the areas mentioned above were followed up and is nowbeing implemented in various scale.

This examination report has been carried out at Schenker Logistics AB where the objective has been to analyze the current return process and then to present possible improvements.

In order to analyze the return process there was a necessity to obtain information of the present situation. The information has been acquired through observations and interviews with persons that work in the return process. The information that was obtained made it possible to analyze the return process.

The analysis that was carried out resulted in identification of several shortcomings in the return process. Every of these shortcomings contributed to complications with handling of returns at Schenker Logistics AB. An example of a shortcoming that was identified is that undamaged goods were returned to Schenker Logistics AB without specified reason for the return delivery. Moreover, there was lack of documentation of damaged goods, which contributed that Schenker Logistics AB was unaware of what causes the damages. Additional shortcoming that could be identified in the return process is that waybills with a specific number often disappeared; waybills which are highly important to Schenker Logistics AB in order to handle the returned goods. Furthermore, several unjustified transportations of the return goods took place both internally at Schenker Logistics AB but also externally. This was a risk as the return goods could come in contact with ordinary goods; but also that it could contribute to physical damages on both the return goods and the ordinary goods. In addition to these shortcomings some more is mentioned and explained further in this report.

The proposed improvements presented in this report include changes which can highly improve the return process at Schenker Logistics AB, but also in the entire supply-chain. The return process would most likely, after an implementation of the improvements, become more controlled and sustainable compared to today's situation. These improvement proposals can reduce the number of scenarios by half, scenarios that arise at Schenker Logistics AB when receiving the return goods. These changes can also contribute to saving in costs, in form of handling costs and administrative costs, at both Schenker Logistics AB and their customer Shell.

This report is a part of the education at the School of Engineering, Jönköping. The content of the report is based on work conducted at Huskvarna Prototyper AB (HPAB). The task of the report is to find out what reasonable quality demands would be for a short run manufacturer and what short run manufactures should do to satisfy the demands.

The car manufacturing industry is currently setting high quality demands through QS 9000, Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), on their suppliers. They have to show that they have reliable processes and no quality failures on supplied parts. Statistical process control (SPC) methods are used to comply with the demands set. SPC helps the suppliers to secure that their products are shifting within a small interval. Suppliers can with the help of control charts with a upper control limit and a lower control limit see if their process needs adjustment.

The car manufacturing industry demands that their suppliers have stable processes. In order to show that the processes are stable a Cpk value is used. It has to be greater than 1.33 to assure a stable process.

HPAB has got problems with a component called Scuff Plate (a part of Volvo XC 90) which has got its standards set by the car manufacturing industry. The authors of this paper have measured the Cpk value at four different occasions with the help of the measurement program, Rektron. The value on observation 1, was 0.15 but has increased to 1.34, on observation 4, thanks to adjustments made.

The autors have produced an instruction manual for dealing with future short and long run production.

In an attempt to improve the quality in finite element analysis of thermoformed components, a method for predicting the thickness distribution is presented. The strain induced anisotropic material behaviour in the amorphous polymers of concern is also taken into account in the method. The method comprises of obtaining raw material data from experiments, followed by a simulation of the vacuum thermoforming process where hyperelastic material behaviour is assumed. The theory of hyperelasticity that was applied was based on the Ogden model and implemented in the FE-software LS-DYNA. Material behaviour from thermoformed prototypes is examined by experiments and implemented together with the mapped results from the thermoforming simulation in a succeeding FE-model. For the latter, the three-parameter Barlat model was suggested, giving the possibility to account for anisotropic material behaviour based on an initial plastic strain.

This report presents a bachelor thesis in Mechanical Engineering, Product development and design and has been carried out in collaboration with SAAB Training & Simulation in Huskvarna. The thesis project involved a product development process beginning with establishment of specifications and concept generation through 3D modelling which then resulted in a complete prototype. The task presented by SAAB Training & Simulation consisted of developing a portable combined target holder and transportation case for their current livescoring projectile monitoring system, the LOMAH 700.

A theoretical background was necessary to gain an understanding of the complex nature of a product development process and the stages involved. Different concept generation and evaluation methods were explored, including the Go/No-go and Vendor Evaluation Matrices, as well as engineering practices such as Design for Manufacturing and Design for Assembly. Various materials and production techniques were also investigated to optimize functionality of the product, as well as cost of production.

The methods researched in the theoretical background were then applied throughout the development process. Brainstorming was used to generate numerous different ideas which were then evaluated using three different matrices. This resulted in one leading concept which was further developed through detail work and review. The work continued with 3D-modelling and drawing using SolidWorks to ultimately produce the grounds for manufacturing.

The final concept consisted of a transportation case ordered from the case manufacturing company, SKB Cases. Custom-made components included legs with adjustable length and angle and a target holder used for fixing a target and the LOMAH 700 onto the transportation case. The custom-made parts were produced by SAAB, and the prototype was then assembled. The prototype was ultimately tested to ensure the fulfillment of the specifications defined by SAAB Training & Simulation.

The contact company, LRF Konsult, is a consulting firm specialized in areas of law, real estate, finance and taxation. Discussions on the subject of agricultural improvement in the area of Lean, has primarily been driven by the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, where LRF Konsult also participated. This thesis can be seen as a preliminary study of how Lean can work within agricultural enterprises.The thesis primarily focuses on the possibilities dairy farms have to improve operations. What practical benefits they can obtain through the implementation of Lean. And how an implementation could take place.By visits to two dairy companies, and through interviewing their respective business leaders, an image of the companies activity for improvement, in connection to this thesis was established. This image is analyzed by appropriate theoretical studies and presented as two case-companies on which further discussions are based. The discussions highlights about the questions in the thesis intention.There may be substantial waste to be found and eliminated within the farms. There is however considerable effort to locate these wastages. To encourage businesses to work with problems and overcome these it requires some basic understanding of what Lean improvement efforts are. Current agricultural thinking is similar to Lean in some areas, which would ease the implementation of Lean in the current situation for the enterprises.According to the authors' conclusions, it is possible for a dairy company to work with the majority of Likers principles. However, there is a number of principles that should be reworked to be usable in a production with animals. The authors also emerged that although the companies were small, there were already links with Lean. However, there is a lack of standardized methods in their work.

The aging population is growing and as more elderly need nursing the demand on elderly care is increasing. There is a risk of not having enough staff in an industry that already lacks educated staff. Many of the employees also complain that they are stressed out. This has led to an increasing number of gadgets and tools used within elderly care but not without problems. The technologies have been criticized for being designed to fit the need of the people in control rather than the elderly and the caregivers. This thesis has mapped the situation within todays elderly care and provided a solution to those needs and problems found. The focus has been to make a design that is fit for the elderly and the caregivers. The project has been made with a human centered design approach by letting elderly and caregivers participate in the process. A keystone has been to make the solution emit a sense of coherence for the elderly. The result is a radar unit which scans for blood pressure, respiration, pulse, and falls. The radar can be complimented with a camera to provide even more security. The achieved result can bring a sense of coherence for the elderly but needs to be further tested in order to prove it. This work can be used for future studies.

This thesis project uses various Industrial design methods to create a concept that will evolve a sandbox into a more versatile and interesting playing area. By using parts that can be attached to the frame of the sandbox many different versions can be built to suit different demands and needs. The concept also uses lights and decorated panels to make the sandbox more interesting and visible in today's colorful playgrounds.

The project is based on the meaning different stakeholders could have in the product. Research has shown that products made with the help of stakeholders has a better chance to be realized. The findings from research by interviews, fieldtrips and library studies were used as reference when sketching and building sketch-models. Sketching is used both for ideation and for explanatory pictures and has been a big part of the project. Many of the sketches and photos can be seen in the report and in the attachments.

This report describes the bachelor thesis project conducted by Adam Bergström and Jonas Bergvad at the School of Engineering at Jönköping University 2017. The thesis was carried out on behalf of Portsystem 2000 AB in collaboration with Semcon AB as a final part of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in Product Development and Design.

The assignment was to develop a non- customized insulated loadhouse at concept level. A loadhouse is the link between the warehouse and the truck, used to protect the goods from external climate during loading and unloading. The company’s customers who are dealing with temperature sensitive products require an insulating function of the loadhouse, and therefore the company formulated this degree project with focus on product development.

With a broad starting point, a pilot study was carried through at the beginning of the project to investigate the requirements and wishes that were put on the product by the company’s customers. With a defined requirement specification, the product development process progressed and resulted in a concept of a non-customized insulated loadhouse that Portsystem 2000 AB can use in further development of their future products.

The insulating function of the loadhouse could be met by using the same wall and roof elements previously used by the company and therefore the project focused on optimizing the construction of the product by keeping down the amount of components and striving for a low installation height.

Many thanks to Åsa Dencker, Johan Pelmas and Johan Örtlund for guidance during the project.

Denna rapport omfattar en redogörelse för ett examensarbete genomfört påuppdrag av en ledande aktör inom skogsindustrin författad av Drilon Ibishi ochJohan Bertilsson våren 2024. Rapporten representerar den avslutande fasen påingenjörsutbildningen inom maskinteknik med inriktning produktutveckling &design på Jönköpings Tekniska Högskola (JTH).Rapporten utgör en vidareutveckling av två tidigare examensarbeten som utfördesunder 2022 och 2023, med samma företag som uppdragsgivare. Dessa tidigareprojekt hade fokus på utveckling av ett passivt exo-skelett. Detta arbete bygger påatt vidareutveckla det passiva exo-skelettet till ett aktivt. Ett exo-skelett är etttillbehör till människan som inte bara syftar på att förebygga skador utan ävenunderlätta lyft av tunga föremål utan risk för skador. Exo-skelettet i denna rapportär inriktad på skogsarbete och syftar på att avlasta ländryggen.Marknaden för exo-skelet har under de senare åren ökat markant. Främst inomområden som byggbranschen, lagerarbete och sjukvården. En av de mest utsattaarbetsgrupperna när det kommer till ryggproblem är skogshuggare. I dagslägetfinns det inga exo-skelett anpassat för skogshuggare, vilket gör att skogsindustrininte kan ta del av denna marknad för tillfället.I rapporten följs en strukturerad produktutvecklingsprocess som innefattarplanering, förstudie, konceptframtagning samt utvärdering av dessa koncept.Genom marknadsanalys, fokusgrupper, intervjuer och utvärdering avkonkurrenters produkter har krav definierats tillsammans med företagets QualityAssurance. Detta för att säkerställa att det resulterande konceptet är anpassat förmarknadens behov.Arbetet har resulterat i ett koncept och en demokonstruktion som senare skallligga till grund för en kommande vidareutveckling och framtagning av en produkt.

Being entrepreneurial is pathly being creative. This Master thesis presents a business plan of BEFCO Trading Ltd geared towards solving a problem in the Cameroonian Economy. The English speaking Cameroonians of South West and North West provinces of Cameroon are presently underserved with car sales offerings as there is presently no registered Company in this section of the Country.

An attempt is presently being made through this business plan thanks to the peaceful and favourable circumstances sorrounding the entrepreneurs and the opportunity gap of a niche market. The business plan shows a win to win situation in which the founding entrepreneurs become self employed by solving a problem in the market through novel business combinations.

The thesis has been carried out in cooperation with Master Flow AB, Västervik owned by the EWEBE Group. The company produces and sells hot runner systems that are tailor made for the customers.

The problem that MasterFlow AB has encountered is in the construction of complex hot runner systems in SolidWorks. With several different lengths, fronts and endcaps that builds the nozzles of the hot runner systems, is affecting the problems for MasterFlow AB. The purpose of this work is to automate the design of hot runner systems so it does not overload the CAD-system SolidWorks.

To gain an understanding of the problem, there have been several studies and observations at the company, where the focus has been on how the work is done with the design of hot runner systems. By using help from the corporate management, enough information has been collected to find a solution to these problems.

The implementation of design automation has been based on a flowchart that was created. It describes how MasterFlow AB approaches when they choose nozzles to its hot runner systems. Programming was done in Visual Studio, in the language Visual Basic. Furthermore, the program Howtomation was used to tie the programming together.

An application called “Bushing Generator” has been created where automation of the design of nozzle is fully possible. The program Bushing Generator selects the options that is specific for the selected nozzle and creates one or more nozzles which is mounted to the assembly of the manifold.

Master Flow AB is considered to have high potential for further automation of the hot runner system. Automation that includes the manifold and the creation of drawings is considered possible.

Purpose - In this thesis a further development of Cyklop Teknik AB's existing product, CBC Strap Cutter, has been developed. The product is a machine that cuts packaging tape to reduce the amount space the waste takes up, especially during waste transports. Some problem areas had been revealed after the market introduction of the product. One of these problems was that several unnecessary steps had to be performed before the waste bin could be emptied. One of these step was lifting the machine from the waste bin who also acted as a rack of sorts. A material sorting function, for plastics and ferromagnetic metals, was also requested by Cyklop Teknik AB.

Method – The work has been performed by completing a concept study. First a requirement specification [appendix 1] and a Gantt chart [appendix 3] was developed to provide a benchmark for what should be done and when. The work that followed thereafter was a competitive analysis supplemented by a pre-study. The purpose of these studies was to observe how the competitors and related industries had solved these and related problems. Results from the studies that was performed made it clear that no competitor had a similar product that could sort the materials. Brainstorming was thereafter performed to develop new ideas as a help to solve the aforementioned problems and to generate new concepts. Furthermore, the most appropriate concepts was selected through direct feedback from Cyklop Teknik AB among others and a method called "Concept Scoring Matrix". Finally one concept remained and was further developed in a CAD environment, specifically in SolidWorks.

Results - The final result was a concept that had been divided into different sub-components. These were cutting machine, separation module, rack and waste bin. The cutting machine was the part cut up the input material. This in turn was kept as close to the original machine as possible and only acquired minor adjustments. In doing so Cyklop Teknik AB's manufacturing processes could remain similar as they have been. A module was developed for the separation, it in turn was constructed with a spinning magnetic tube. The reason for this was that it would give the company possibility of selling the concept with or without the sorting module and its function. At the same time the module could be adapted and sold for other areas where fast sorting of said material would need to be performed. A rack has also been developed to simplify the vacating of the waste bin that was a critical part of the work. In doing so there would be no unnecessary moments that had to be performed. A waste bin was also designed with both wheels and forklift slots to facilitate emptying and offer great opportunities for the user. A single emptying process was developed and made it possible to empty the waste bin when it would be hoisted by a forklift.

Restrictions - This project has only developed a prototype in CAD that in turn could be developed further. The reason for this was the short time frame that was allocated for the thesis. No simulations or computations were either performed to validate and optimize the concept in each area. Likewise, it was because of the short time frame. No customer study has been conducted, the work has instead been based on the information received from the Cyklop Teknik AB.

Syfte – Syftet med detta examensarbete är att med hjälp av undersökningar, metoder och teorier ta fram konceptförslag åt Kongsberg Automotive för en växelväljare med roterande inmatning som ska sitta i automatväxlade bilar.

Metod – Design brief, konkurrentanalys, funktionsanalys, brainstorming, kravspecifikation, enkätundersökning, användartest, TAM-Technology Acceptance Model.

Resultat – Resultatet blev en prototyp av ett koncept på en monostabil växelväljare för automatväxlade bilar. Konceptet är cirkulärformad med två stycken rattar i två nivåer som hanterar växlarna drive-reverse respektive park-neutral.

Implikationer – Studenterna har valt att hålla sig borta från det traditionella växelmönster, som säger att Neutralen ligger mellan växlarna Drive och Reverse, på grund av de nya möjligheterna med Skift By Wire. Genom att manipulera växlingsmönstret lite och separera växlarna Drive - Reverse från Park - Neutral är eleverna övertygade om att det nya växelreglaget är säkrare och mer lättmanövrerad.

Begränsningar – endast monostabila växelväljare med roterande inmatning har behandlats i denna rapport.

Nyckelord – Shift-by-wire, GUI, usability, användarupplevelse, interaktionsdesign, fordon, Kongsberg Automotive.

Isaberg-Rapid has problems with their internal material handling. The goal with this report is to create a layout for a pilot group in the production. Furthermore will appropriate carriers be suggested and the way of communicate between the stock keeping unit through coating to the assembly group will be analyzed.

The focal point is on a pilot group where the assembly of staple guns occurs. We have reviewed the material handling in the pilot group. By doing a spaghetti diagram the assemblers’ movements in the group is being analyzed and from that a new layout is proposed that will facilitate the handling of material in the assembly group.

Besides the spaghetti diagram the report is based on observations, interviews, a process flow schedule, a layout flow schedule and calculations.

To make the material flow to the assembly group more effective a proposal with a supermarket has been developed. The reason for using a supermarket is also to minimize tied up capital after coating. The transportation of material is handled by a dedicated material handler to minimize the interruptions in work for the assemblers.

The carriers that are used in the assembly group has been reviewed and to easily handle these a proposal with FIFO lines has been developed to make it easier for the assemblers.

In a global economy it is important to understand what project management is and how it functions in a contemporary company. This report includes an empirical case study of a project flow, which was conducted in the department Packaging Concept (PC) which is a part of Stora Enso. As all of PC´s customer enquiries are unique and must be considered an individual project, PC continuously works in projects. An analysis of the project flow was conducted based on interviews at and visits to PC as well as relevant documents distributed by the department. The report gives an understanding and analysis of how PC works in projects. A description of the project flow is given and the project roles are defined. Furthermore, PC´s way of following up projects as well as managing risks are presented and analysed. The analyses in this report are based on a chapter that includes relevant project- and process management theory. PC´s project flow is long and includes many steps that must be conducted in order to deliver a good result to the customer. This project flow can be divided into the initial phase, the preliminary study phase, the planning phase, the implementation phase and the completing phase. In order to support the employees, PC has templates and instruction manuals that give clear guidelines and directives on how to manage a project. The management and the employees at PC see the project flow as a process giving an overall picture of the project flow. There are many players involved in the course of a project. Internally in PC, the project roles are divided between the management, the salesmen, the project engineers and the service engineers. Management orders the project while the project engineer is the project manager. A team of suppliers, a salesman and service engineers constitute the project group. Special focus has been placed on how PC manages project evaluation and risk management. Analyses of these two elements were done, and the findings in this report are that PC has inadequate guidelines for managing project evaluation and for managing risk. PC has managed to make the project flow clear and easy to work with. Everybody in the department understands the general picture of the project flow and the role that they and their colleagues play. In our opinion this is due to the clear guidelines and directives communicated through templates and instruction manuals. These are, however, not currently sufficient. Better documented guidelines for managing project evaluation and risk management should be completed by the management.

In industry today, the need for excellent product development and realization in many different aspects is increasing. This calls for excellent quality, while at the same time time-to-market is increasingly important. A concurrent engineering (CE) approach is directed towards simultaneously developing different aspects of product realization in order to enhance both quality and speed. This thesis deals with the internal materials supply system (MSS) from a CE approach. Logistics aspects are often not dealt with until later stages of development, which leads to limitations in the possible solutions for the MSS. While designing a new production system, including MSS aspects early on in the project implies stating at an early stage what is required by the system. In order to aid the development of such requirements, this thesis aims at suggesting a structure for the requirements on the MSS where the relevant stakeholders of the system are involved. The thesis results are achieved through literature reviews and a case study at a manufacturing company in the automotive industry.

Through literature reviews the thesis suggests a four-level hierarchic approach to requirements, considering four levels: stakeholder level, system level, sub system level and component level. This approach is supported by the case study, where stakeholders and requirements are analyzed and content and important aspects for the requirements specification in a current product realization project are considered. Through the case study, the thesis suggests a view of MSS stakeholders and a two-part structure for MSS requirements with a requirements specification matrix and a tree diagram. The requirements specification matrix contains the four suggested levels, where twelve different requirement categories are considered on each level. The stakeholder level considers the stakeholder requirements, which are translated into requirements on the system. These are broken down into requirements on the various flows (sub systems) of the system, which are then broken down into six components (materials feeding, storage, transportation, handling, packaging and planning and control). The stakeholders considered are divided into operational, contextual and internal stakeholders to the system.

The thesis results are considered to have the possibility of aiding the inclusion of MSS aspects at an early stage of product realization, and many different aspects are considered through the inclusion of all the relevant stakeholders in the study. The results are expected to be applicable in many different contexts. However, this needs to be examined further and also the robustness of the results need to be established through further studies.