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Systems Engineering

     Manufacturing Engineering and Systems Engineering are multi-faceted disciplines that encompasses a very broad spectrum of services from nano-engineering and biomechanical engineering to the macro scale of ergonomics and systems automation.   The important concept of Systems Engineering, is it is the umbrella for managing product system development or that of perceiving the whole as against parts.  It is an interdisciplinary field of engineering development and organization of complex artificial  - integrates other disciplines and specialty groups into a team effort, forming a structured development process that proceeds from concept to production to operation.  The need to identify properties of a system as a whole, which in complex engineering projects may greatly differ from the sum of its parts, motivated the Department of Defense, NASA, and related industries   SysE focuses on defining customer needs, product and production resourcing requirements early in the development cycle, documenting requirements, then proceeding with design synthesis and system validation while considering the complete system.   

     One way to understand the motivation behind systems engineering is to see it as a method, or practice, to identify and improve common rules that exist within a wide variety of systems. Industrial Design & Systems Engineering encourages the use of modeling and simulation to validate assumptions or theories on systems and the interactions within them. Use of methods that allow early detection of possible failures are integrated into the design process.  At the same time, decisions made at the beginning of a project whose consequences are not clearly understood can have enormous implications later in the product life of a system, and it is the task of the designers and engineers to explore these issues and make critical decisions. Systems engineering support the engineering of the product development, production manufacturing implementation and the decision-making process.

Managing complexity

     The need for industrial design and systems engineering is evidenced by the increase in complexity of systems and products.  Complexity is not limited to engineering systems but also to human organizations; at the same time, a system can become more complex not only due to increase in size - as in the International Space Station (ISS) - but also with increased in the amounts of data, variables, or the number of fields that are simultaneously involved in the design process.  For instance, development of smarter –user friendly control algorithms, microprocessor design, and analysis of environmental systems are initiatives of industrial designers and systems engineering.  Industrial Designers encourage use of tools and methods to better comprehend and manage complexity in product and machine systems.   Some examples of such tools are: Predictive Modeling and Simulation, Optimization, System dynamics, Systems analysis, Statistical analysis, Reliability analysis, and Feasibility analysis give valuable input and feedback prior to full manufacturing development, reducing cycle time and improving quality.   

Taking an interdisciplinary approach to product systems is inherently complex, since the behavior of and interaction among system components are not always well defined or understood (at least at the outset). Defining and characterizing such product systems and subsystems, and the interactions among them, is one of the goals of designers and systems engineers.  In doing so, the gap that exists between informal requirements from users, operators, and marketing organizations, and technical specifications that an engineer or Industrial Designer can implement is successfully bridged 

Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing or lean production is a manufacturing practice seeking the the optimal way of producing goods through the removal of waste and implementing flow, as opposed to batch and queue.  Lean manufacturing is a  process management philosophy derived mostly from the Toyota Production System renowned for its focus on reduction of the original seven wastes. ( Muda, Mura, Muri are  traditional  Japanese terms for activity that is wasteful and doesn't add value or is unproductive to increase profitability).  Lean is also associated with the (JIT) "Just in Time" work philosophy.

The seven wastes include:

  • Defects
  • Overproduction
  • Transportation
  • Waiting
  • Inventory
  • Motion
  • Overprocessing

The Toyota lean philosophy has two primary concepts: Just-in-Time (JIT) or "flow", and "automation" (smart automation).   The concept is based on, if production flows perfectly then there is no inventory and if customer valued features are the only ones produced, then design is simplified and effort is only expended on features the customer values.   Other considerations include the human aspect of autonomation, which aims to give the machines enough intelligence to recognize when they are not working efficiently and alert for machine operator intervention.  Thus the operator does not have to monitor normal production and only focuses on fault conditions and improving quality, helping to reduce routine and repetitive activity.

Lean implementation is therefore focused on getting the right things, to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity to achieve maximized optimum work flow while minimizing waste, combined with flexibility.


Applications - Industries Served

Home & Personal Medical Products
Medical Diagnostic & Clinical Equipment
Surgical and Therapeutic Products
Appliances : Living, Kitchen & Bath
Lawn & Garden Equipment
Recreational: Sports / Leisure
Fitness / Exercise Equipment
Commercial / Industrial Equipment
Electronics  - Personal Devices
Communication Products & Accessories
Lighting:  Fixture, Wall, Ceiling, Outdoor
Commercial & Industrial Equipment
Trucking & Transportation
Inventory Management – Logistics
Automotive Accessories
Utility & Power Tools
Sanitary - Restroom Products
Coolers & Vendors
Music Products & Accessories
Toys & Games
Robotics / Animatronics

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