Doug Love/Aston University

ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Coding & Classification Systems

Coding & Classification Systems in Design &

Manufacture
Controlling Variety

Controlling the Cost of Variety

Doug Love
Aston University

ID
1
MRU

Doug Love/Aston University

ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Introduction

This presentation will cover

Coding & Classification Systems

z The cost of part variety

z finding by shape using coding & classification
systems
Introduction

 alpha-numeric & binary systems

 functionality, costs and viability
 manufacturing v design applications

z Development of an automatic part coding system

 problems of coding of real 2D drawings
 a demonstration of Camac v6

z Two hands-on exercises

 Opitz coding
 Camac v6 coding & sketch-based retrieval

ID
2
MRU
 Doug Love/Aston University
ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Why bother to find existing parts?
Engineering change control

z Designing new parts generate costs Engineering documentation

Coding & Classification Systems

 $1300-$12000/part 1
Service documentation
 20%2-80%3 new parts unnecessary
Release new part
 many companies create 000’s parts/yr
Cost of Variety

z a US company had 280,000 parts & created Process Planning

1500 new parts/month2
NC Programming

z A study at Scania4 in the late 1980’s showed: Costing

 manufacturing costs down 10% with 2x volume ERP Entry

 distribution costs down 30% with 0.5x part numbers
Production Planning
 design & development costs were proportional to the
number of part numbers Raw Material Stocks
 Scania spent 0.7 billion SEK/yr on development
Small Batch Set-ups
z a competitor spent 1.3 bn SEK/yr & had 2x the number
of part numbers.
Small Batch Handling
 Profit in this period varied 1.3-3.8 bn SEK/yr
Small Batch - WIP

1 Various estimates
ID 2
Hyer & Wemmerlov (1989) found that 20% of parts could be reused unmodified & that another 18% needed modification Part Stocks

3
MRU 3
Gunn, T (1982) - seems optimistic!
4 Reported in: Johnson & Broms, Profit Beyond Measure, Nicholas Brealey (2000)

Doug Love/Aston University

ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Conventional Coding & Classification Systems
Coding & Classification Systems

This is the Opitz Code for Rotational Parts

OPITZ

Engineer interprets
drawing by selecting
geometric properties

Code number = geometric properties

ID e.g. 05352 + 0021
4
MRU Parts are retrieved via code number
 Doug Love/Aston University
ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Conventional Coding & Classification Systems

The Opitz coding system

Coding & Classification Systems

z Manual, inexpensive system

 Popular in Europe

z Originally developed for

 Workpiece statistics &
OPITZ

 Group Technology
z form ‘families’ of parts
z design a machining cell to make
the family
Machining Line
z But also had applications in design
retrieval
 used to find existing parts by
matching code number of desired
& actual parts
HEAT-TREATMENT.
MODULE.

 early example of a ‘universal’ code 8HR TURN-AROUND.

that works for both production &

design applications
ID
5
MRU

Doug Love/Aston University

ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Conventional Coding & Classification Systems

Opitz coding:
Coding & Classification Systems
OPITZ

3 = Smooth or stepped to one end with

functional groove
1 = External plane surface

1 = Stepped to one end, no shape

elements
2 = Axial holes related by a drilling
pattern, no gear teeth
0 = Rotational part L/D < 0.5

Now try for yourself ….

ID
MRU
01312
6
 Doug Love/Aston University
ASTON http://idmru.aston.ac.uk/camac
UNIVERSITY
Conventional Coding & Classification Systems

Opitz Coding Exercise

Coding & Classification Systems

z This exercise should be done in pairs (as is the next one)

z Code the drawings on the following pages
O P I T Z Exercise

z Using the Opitz Codes (see below)

 5 digit shape code for rotational parts, and
 4 digit material & dimensions code

1.… , +

1...
z Note any problems in interpreting the code
z compare your code(s) with your neighbours
ID
7
MRU  note any differences