Han, Chingping (Jim)

An Object-Oriented Process Planning (OOPP) system that generates a particular process plan for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) fabrication is developed. The OOPP is an integrated system that access the manufacturing database, which includes the fabrication processes and the main parameters of Printed Circuit Boards. An Object-Oriented approach has several benefits which include a modular system structure that combine procedures (programs) with data values, improving the communication among different manufacturing activities, and achieving less system maintenance and down stream errors. OOPP system based on Group Technology (GT) concept and PCB fabrication rules. Applying Group Technology within Object Oriented process planning structure is a new application in this field. This gives more flexibility to the system and presents a technique that intends future reuse.

The present trend in manufacturing technology indicates strong tendencies to integrate computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) to attain the computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) system. Computer aided process planning (CAPP) system serves as the key linkage that interfaces CAD and CAM. In this research, a CAPP system, namely, RD-CAPP was developed using the variant process planning approach. This system is used to generate process plans automatically. The RD-CAPP system developed during this research uses group technology (GT) concepts and a relational data model. The application of the relational database management system and GT provides various advantages such as ease of information management, ease of modification and updating of information stored, ease of interlinking of various databases, etc. The effectiveness of the system described has been verified through the use of industrial data. The results of the study along with the development of various modules and the computer programs are discussed in this thesis.

Continuous changes in the software development community require challenging conventional approaches resulting in techniques that allow for early decisions at the design level. This project is a demonstration of the use of design patterns as a common way to organize objects to make practical design decisions helping to generate flexible, manageable and agile software architectures. Due to the continuity and unpredictability of its requirements, the Biometric Industry is appropriate to illustrate of the use of design patterns and object oriented analysis. First, the conceptual model of an Electronic Fingerprint Service establishes the vocabulary for discussing how a system is constructed. Since good design decisions eventually result in a good design model, this model is used to leverage the object reused when requirements change. The Electronic Biometric Services model demonstrates how by applying design patterns, the system can gain the flexibility and agility required to grow and change according to new requirements.

The study of this paper on entropy-based methodology for measuring and analyzing the material and information complexity across organizational interfaces within a logistical framework material and Information flows within the supply chain are often complex. The complexity analysis described in this paper can be used to highlight several issues that are critical to effective supply chain management, and for internal control. My methodology is based on the understanding that the level of control and predictability, as well as the dynamic characteristics and static of the flows contribute to the overall level of complexity within the supply chain. This study demonstrated that supply chain complexity is realistically understood, carefully and accurately assessed it can be used to monitor and effectively control the performance of the entire supply chain and delivery system. At the supply chain interface, the methodology can provide quantitative insights into the transfer of complexity along the supply chain.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate two plastic materials, PMMA and UHMWPE, by using a material testing device "Robotic arch cycle motor" to imitate a normal body weight of 150 lbs. on Vo's artificial ankle implant. In this experiment, there are 82 sets of a three hours for UHMWPE, and 34 sets for PMMA have been applied to these materials with maintaining of 165 lbs. or 110% of a normal body weight person. In addition, timer, saline solution 0.5%, and thermometer are employed to set up a vivo human environment to maxim the accuracy dada collection. Number of cycles is recorded by computer and to be converted to the lifetime of Vo's ankle implant. The result shows that UHMWPE has a greater performance of 0.0176in in Vo's artificial ankle implant than PMMA.

Current ankle implant designs have shown significant improvements in last ten years. However, failure rates are still high and about 30% of patients ended up with fusion joint or lower leg amputation after ten years of first operations because of long term associated pain. A new ankle joint implant presenting in this study (Vo-ankle implant) was designed to base on the Design for Assembly (DFA) principles to optimize the device biomechanically. It overcomes most of problems shown in current ankle implants. The new ankle implant has four major advantages over the current models. First, the new ankle constructed to distribute loads evenly on the joint implant with variable axes of motion. Second, the implantation requires much less bone resection. Third, the new ankle design has a simpler and easier technique to implant. Lastly, the new ankle design employs one joint intact operation same as that of a true ankle joint.

The study of the reusable container inventory control in a distribution network is crucial to the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the transportation systems. In order to minimize the total operation cost of such a transportation network system, all subsystems of the distribution network have to be optimized together as a whole system. In this study, we extended the inventory control concept and developed a multiple-inventory control model for the transportation network. We presented a systematic approach to address all those subsystems as interrelated systems. Mathematical models were developed for the transportation and container inventory control problems first. Then, the statistical modeling method was used to analyze the effects of the container inventory management policies on the performance of the transportation system. Based on the optimization theory, simulation executions were such arranged to lead to the globe optimality. This makes it possible to optimize the variables of inventory control under different control policies without solving mathematical models. A Simulation Code Generator (SCG) was also developed for a general container inventory control system.

Effective and efficient supply chain management is essential for domestic and global organizations to compete successfully in the international market. Superior inventory control policies and product distribution strategies along with advanced information technology enable an organization to collaborate distribution and allocation of inventory to gain a competitive advantage in the world market. Our research establishes the strategic resource allocation model to capture and encapsulate the complexity of the modern global supply chain management problem. A mathematical model was constructed to depict the stochastic, multiple-period, two-echelon inventory with the many-to-many demand-supplier network problem. The model simultaneously constitutes the uncertainties of inventory control and transportation parameters as well as the varying price factors. A genetic algorithm (GA) was applied to derive optimal solutions through a two-stage optimization process. Practical examples and solutions from three sourcing strategies (single sourcing, multiple sourcing, and dedicated system) were included to illustrate the GA based solution procedure. Our model can be utilized as a collaborative supply chain strategic planning tool to efficiently determine the appropriate inventory allocation and a dynamic decision making process to effectively manage the distribution plan.

The artificial ankle joint implant has been developed since 1970 after the relatively successful total hip and knee arthroplasty. The main goal of ankle replacement is to eliminate pain and preserve joint motion. Unfortunately, total ankle replacement (TAR) has not been effective as implant of other joints. Recently, published studies of early series showed that the newer second-generation ankle prosthesis have been improved with time. However, only one of the three current ankle designs is allowed by FDA to be used widely in the U.S. This study provides a new ankle design with an advanced approach in designs, biomechanical rationale, and implantation using finite element method (FEM). The new ankle prosthesis in designed to be optimal in terms of ultimate stress, implant parameter that correlating with minimal bone removal using finite element model created from CT scan. In addition, its implantation is less invasive and traumatic compared to the current TAR with longer expecting service life time. Case study showed that the thickness meniscus of the new ankle design obtained from FEM is well within the recommendation ranges by the expert in the ankle joint implantation field.

Our research establishes the platform and modeling for the new trend in today's Global Supply Chain Management Systems (GCOM). The framework consists of various practical policies with respect to booking units, reserve-price, and the preservation of relationship between the outsourcing organization and their contract manufacturers. Mathematical models have been studied and reconciled to constitute the most suitable expression. Monte Carlo Simulation is chosen to describe the outsourcing's phenomena under our given conditions. The study path may be useful for both SCM's analyst and any global organization looking for the offshore outsourcing in order to establish the optimal point in reserving the production's capacity with the cognition in today's fluctuated global demand and currency exchange rate.