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A differentiated approach for justification of advanced manufacturing technologies

Abstract

European companies rely on advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) in order to succeed in an environment of high labour costs, increasing competition and rising customer expectations. AMT implementation is often a high-risk investment. Many companies experience a misalignment between the installed functionality and production needs. There is a need for decision support in order to take into account all possible advantages and disadvantages of the technology implementation, and ensure that the technology meets the requirements of the production processes. In this article, a differentiated technology justification approach is introduced. The approach suggests a combination of strategic, financial and risk justification methods. The recommended number and type of methods depend on the integration level of the technical system under consideration, ranging from stand-alone machines to large and integrated production systems. The approach was developed based on a literature review and a case study. The application of the approach was presented in a case where several types of pipe bending technology were evaluated.

Category

Academic article

Client

  • Research Council of Norway (RCN) / 226357

Language

English

Author(s)

Affiliation

  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • SINTEF Community / Architectural Engineering

Year

2016

Published in

Advances in Manufacturing

ISSN

2095-3127

Publisher

Springer

Volume

4

Issue

3

Page(s)

257 - 267

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