Program Overview

Manufacturing Operations

Course Description

This course aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of manufacturing planning, execution, control, and development in a real industrial context. The course contains an introduction to and an overview of central concepts of manufacturing operations such as statistical process control, design of experiments, six-sigma, lean manufacturing, information systems such as ERP/MES and PLM systems, and examples of applications and real-world cases.

Course Content

The course covers various topics, including:

• Introduction to manufacturing operations
• Statistical process control
• Design of experiments
• Six-sigma
• Lean manufacturing
• Information systems (ERP/MES and PLM systems)
• Examples of applications and real-world cases

Description of Qualifications

Industrial Manufacturing is a critical activity in all economies. This course aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of manufacturing planning, execution, control, and development in a real industrial context. The course contains an introduction to and provides an overview of central concepts of manufacturing operations such as statistical process control, design of experiments, six-sigma, lean manufacturing, enterprise information systems such as ERP/MES and PLM system along with examples of applications and real-life cases.

Learning Outcomes

After the course, the students must be able to apply these concepts and methods to a specific manufacturing system and to evaluate the performance of such a system. This entails:

• Understanding the basic principles and concepts of manufacturing operations.
• Analyzing manufacturing systems in terms of capacity, material flow, and storage.
• Applying probability, queuing models, and optimization techniques to manufacturing operations.
• Understanding the elements of material flow, production systems, and process management.
• Developing strategies for production planning, inventory management, and quality control.
• Recognizing the role of information flow and its impact on manufacturing operations.
• Analyzing the dynamic behavior and scheduling of production systems.

Academic Prerequisites

• BSc in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
• At least 5th semester student on BSc in Mechanical Engineering or similarly qualified exchange student on BSc in Mechanical Engineering
• Required: Calculus tau (or equivalent)
• Recommended: Basic course in statistics and probability theory

Course Details

• ECTS: 5
• Level: Master
• Location: Aarhus
• Language of instruction: English
• Hours - week - period: 4 hours per week for 14 weeks
• Type of course: Ordinary, Exchange
• Primary programme: Master's Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering
• Related programmes: Bachelor's Degree Programme in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering)
• Department: Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering
• Faculty: Technical Sciences

Teaching

• Forms of instruction: Lecture and classroom instruction
• Instructor: Charles Møller
• Course coordinator: Charles Møller

Literature

• Main book: Operations Management, 14.ed., William J. Stevenson, McGraw-Hill Education, 2020
• Selected notes

Examination

• Forms of examination: Take-home assignment (Assign) and oral
• Form of co-examination: External co-examination
• Assessment: 7-point grading scale
• Permitted exam aids: All
• Duration: 20 minutes

Comments

• Take-home assignment: one written group report (max. 6 students) handed in during the teaching period
• Oral examination: Individual examination (without other group members present) based on take-home assignment
• Re-exam: Oral exam. Updated home assignment (or erratum with corrections) can be submitted before the re-exam.