Development of a standardised lean design process for purpose-built machine tools

Abstract

In the modern world, innovation and the incorporation of lean design processes are an effective way to develop automated machines that can contribute to increased profit margins. The unreliability and low skill level of the general South African workforce has created a need for automated machines that can produce products at high production rates, using a minimal amount of manpower. However, the design process of such automated machines, from concept phase to production phase, is experimental and time consuming; resulting in unnecessary costs and development time delays for the organisation. The purpose of the research was to develop an artefact in the form of a standardised lean design process to improve the time frame within which purpose-built machine tools are designed by the machine tool industry in South Africa. The research incorporates existing design models and methods to optimise the design time frame in which purpose-built machines are designed by the South African machine tool industry. The novel research design consists of an integration of the Design Science Research paradigm, the V-model and the Delphi technique to generate prescriptive design of knowledge-building and evaluating the artefact. The artefact that was designed consisted of an improved design process of the standardised lean design process. Various lean elements were used to verify and validate the artefact.