GEOMETRY-BASED SIMILARITY ASSESSMENT: A METHOD FOR MISTAKE-PROOFING THE ASSEMBLY OF COMPLEX PRODUCTS

摘要

Mixed model production is the assembly of multiple products on a common assembly line (see Fig. 1). Companies are moving to mixed-model production environments to: 1) reduce production investment, 2) provide increased customization and respond to globalization, 3) reduce response time and variability (order → delivery), and 4) reduce risk and uncertainty. This transition to a more chaotic production environment increases the chance of using incorrect parts as the number of "similar" parts increases dramatically. Many companies do not have systems in place to identify and prevent usage of the wrong part until after errors have occurred and are found in inspection or, worse yet, at the customer.