DALMINE
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Completing the course, the student has the basic skills to understand, interpret and design a production and logistics system operating in an industrial context. In particular, starting from the set up of a feasibility study and from the principles of systems engineering, the student learns the main analytical, methodological tools for dimensioning an industrial production and logistics system. In addition, the student learns the main management principles related to production and logistics, with particular reference to the warehouse management and material handling subjects.
Furthermore, the student learns the language and technical terminology that allow him to communicate appropriately in the workplace. The skills acquired by the student supplement those already acquired in previous courses and, at the same time, represent the foundation that the student can leverage when attending other courses in the technological-industrial area.
Course Prerequisites
Teaching Methods
Lectures aim to introduce and discuss the methods and principles of management outlined in the objectives of the course.
The course material consists mainly of the slides available on the course page on the University website. Such slides are complemented with further readings from the recommended books in the bibliography. The slides serve as a support to the classroom discussion: therefore, during the discussion in the classroom further details not present on the slides may be provided.
The password to access the material published on the course web page is communicated during the first lecture of the course. If unable to attend the first lesson, please contact the professor by e-mail.
Assessment Methods
The exam is exclusively written (no oral exam) and it lasts about 1 hour. In its standard formulation, the exam consists of 30 multiple choice questions about theory and exercises.
At least 60 percent of the available points must be obtained to pass the exam. The number of questions and exercises in the specific exam session may deviate slightly from what is indicated depending on the degree of difficulty of the questions and exercises. Exam results are posted on the student online desk (Sportello stidemte). Further communication on this point will be given during the course. Examination procedures are the same for both attending and non-attending students.
Contents
1. Introductory definitions and basic concepts:
- Company, industrial plant, processes. Review of some concepts and basic definition
- Classification of plants and production systems: business sectors, size, 3-axis classification, production mode (MTS, MTO,.), process type (linear, synthetic, analytical).
- The feasibility study.
2. Systems Engineering
- Introduction to complex systems engineering.
- Feasibility study and evaluation of system alternatives.
- Requirements analysis (requirements engineering).
- References to model-based systems engineering.
3. Production capacity
- Determinants of production capacity (opening days, utilization coefficients, waste coefficient...).
- Calculation of break even point (single product, multi-product, with semi-fixed costs).
- Dimensioning to average values of the job shop production system with homogeneous and heterogeneous machines
- Tack time and cycle time (hints)
- Monte Carlo simulation for probabilistic analysis of production capacity scenarios.
4. Theory of constraints
- Definition and characterization of constraints in the production system according to the Theory of Constraints
- Principles of constraint management
- Throughput accounting
- Introduction to plant simulation for constraints identification
5. Facility location
- Characteristics and types of plant siting problems, goals and objectives.
- Location as a function of plant type.
- Main criteria (cost minimization, proximity to markets, service maximization...).
- Relevant factors for location choices (fundamental, secondary, auxiliary). Relevant cost factors.
- Classification of problems: mono-/pluri-product, discrete/continuous (in space), location/allocation, finite/infinite capacity, known/unknown number of plants.
- Location methods: score method, barycenter method, load distance factor method, uncapaciatated facility location problem (UFLP), capaciatated facility location problem (CFLP), p-median, p-cover, p-center.
6. Logistics and storage systems:
- Definitions and classification. Purposes and functions.
- Main processes (receiving, storage, picking, preparation and shipping).
- Main resources involved (buildings, storage units, storage system, picking equipment, material handling, information system, personnel)
- Characteristic parameters (receptive and handling potential, selectivity index, surface and volume occupancy coefficients, critical saturation of receptive potential).
- Storage systems classification.
- Storage policies and criteria for allocation of goods.
- Shelving storage area sizing procedure, building module and unit module, surface utilization coefficient, determination of number and arrangement of unit modules. Relationship between the linear dimensions of the warehouse.
- Automated warehouses (hint).
- Material handling and sizing to average values of trolley-based handling systems.
7. Picking and routing
- Warehouse picking processes
- Sizing of warehouse areas for picking
- Warehouse routing
Online Resources
More information
Non-attending students are however invited to contact the professor to evaluate any supplementary materials.