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Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title Lean & 6 Sigma Manufacturing
Module Code MM354 (ITS) / MEC1027 (Banner)
Faculty Engineering & Computing School Mechanical & Manufacturing Eng
Module Co-ordinatorTamas Szecsi
Module Teachers-
NFQ level 8 Credit Rating 5
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
None
Description

The aim of the module is to introduce students to modern manufacturing operations management principles and tools in order to reduce manufacturing costs, improve product quality and increase customer satisfaction.

Learning Outcomes

1. place modern manufacturing operations management within a historical context
2. compare and contrast the main modern approaches to manufacturing operations management
3. financially evaluate projects
4. apply a range of manufacturing operations management tools and techniques to reduce costs, improve product quality and increase customer satisfaction



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture24No Description
Seminars12No Description
Independent Study24No Description
Directed learning40preparation
Independent Study25No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction to manufacturing systems
Types of production (push/pull production, job shop, batch, mass production, mass customisation); Types of manufacturing systems (individual machines, manufacturing cells, FMS, automatic production lines).

Financial calculations
Cost analysis (costs, revenue, profit); Project evaluation (net present value, internal rate of return, payback).

Total Quality Management
TQM principles, methodology, strategies; Cost of quality.

The Toyota Production System
History of TPS; Main concepts of TPS.

Just-in-Time manufacturing
Characteristics of JIT; Kanban systems; CONWIP.

Lean manufacturing
Principles of lean manufacturing; Types of waste; Value stream mapping; Elements of lean manufacturing (5S, autonomation, error prevention, single-minute exchange of dies, production levelling, standardised work, continuous improvement).

Six sigma manufacturing
Statistical basis of six sigma manufacturing; Process capability; Six sigma methodologies (DMAIC, DMADV); Six sigma tools (PICK chart, RACI matrix, Pugh matrix, cost-benefit analysis, critical to quality tree, Taguchi loss function, 5 whys, Pareto analysis, failure mode and effect analysis, data representation, regression analysis, correlation, statistical process control); Six sigma implementation roles; Six sigma criticism.

Dimension analysis
Principles of interchangeability; Full interchangeability; Partial interchangeability.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment20% Examination Weight80%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Group assignmentGroup assignment for using six-sigma manufacturing tools.20%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories:
Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module.
Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

  • Breyfogle, F.W.: 2003, Implementing Six Sigma; Smarter Solutions using Statistical Methods, 2, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey,
  • Monden, Y.: 2012, Toyota production system: an integrated approach to just-in-time, 4, CRC Press, London,
  • Weiss, N.A. and Hassett, M.J.: 1991, Introductory Statistics, 3, Addison-Wesley, Reading,
  • Lu, D.J.: 1985, Just-in-Time at Toyota, Revised ed., Productivity Press, Cambridge,
  • Hay, E.J.: 1988, The Just-in-Time Breakthrough: Implementing the New Manufacturing Basics, 1, John Wiley & Sons, New York,
Other Resources

59338, Files on Loop, Tamas Szecsi, 0, MM354 module notes,

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