Manufacturing & SMT Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the manufacturing, lean and Industry 4.0 terms you will meet when planning SMT material management.
Additive Manufacturing
Initially developed for use in the 1970s, additive manufacturing has evolved much since its inception to allow for personal and industrial precision use in nearly every field imaginable. Examples vary in complexity from a hot glue gun to a precision-cutting electron beam.
Agile Manufacturing
Agile Manufacturing is a production methodology that enables companies to be agile in the face of change. As customer expectations shift and opportunities for innovations arise, Agile manufacturers are able to shift their strategies quickly and responsively.
Andon
In manufacturing, Andon is a system that enables workers to quickly notify team members and managerial staff of quality or process problems. Typically, Andon is performed by activating a light on a signboard that specifies which workstation has either noticed the quality issue or is experiencing problems.
Application Programming Interface (API)
What Is an API? An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of code that enable two or more systems to connect and share data. As opposed to a user interface that serves to connect programs with people, APIs are used to connect programs with other programs.
Best Practices
Best Practices are the established principle course of action within any situation. They can be used to make sure that the most efficient, cost-effective, and/or safe methods are being used. Typically, best practices are used within business applications as a way to establish the best working standards.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is the ability to offload storage and processing power to a central physical server while allowing users to virtually access those resources anywhere at any time as long as they have an internet connection.
Cross-Training (Multiskilling)
Cross-Training is an important management tool for both individual and team development. If you’ve ever worked at an understaffed business, you’re probably familiar with having to cover other coworkers’ responsibilities when they are absent or overloaded—but there’s a better way!
Cycle Time
Cycle Time is defined as the time it takes to produce one item within the manufacturing environment. It includes any stalls or pauses that may occur intentionally or unintentionally during production. Knowing how long it takes to produce items enables companies to manage their resources in an intelligent and efficient way.
Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis (DFMEA)
A Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis is an investigative summary of the potential risks during production that are identified in the design stage. From a history in aerospace engineering, FMEA applications now stretch from industries like software and manufacturing.
Downtime
Downtime is defined as any period where production has stopped. The production is still costing money but no revenue is being generated. Within manufacturing, there are numerous causes of downtime such as machine breakdowns, workforce shortages, worker injuries, resource shortages, poor scheduling, and even planned downtime.
Guidebooks (Work Instructions)
The definition of a guidebook can be hard to pin down for multiple reasons. Is it a work instruction….yes. Is it a standardized process….yes. Is it a training document…yes. Is it preventative maintenance….yes. Is it an advanced system that engages workers while gathering data and connecting to other systems and tools… YES!
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
Welcome to the wonderful world of the Industrial Internet of Things! Explore the difference between the IoT and the IIoT, how the IIoT actually works, the specific impact of the manufacturing sector, and then implementations, challenges, and forecasts for the Industrial Internet of Things at large.
Industry 5.0
Industry 5.0 is the next industrial revolution where people and machines harmoniously work together. By leveraging Industry 4.0 technology like Big Data and IoT, Industry 5.0 aims to help humans work faster and smarter.
Internet of Things (IoT)
As we enter the modern industrial age of Industry 4.0, technology has drastically changed the landscape of manufacturing. Whereas humans once had to perform every technical step of the manufacturing process, many tools are now “smart” enough to run pretty independently.
Just-In-Time (JIT) Production
Just-in-Time production is a practice within lean manufacturing that makes items “just” at the time demand requires, and not for surplus inventory; its purpose is waste minimization.
Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)
Directly translated, Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning “change for the better”, or “continuous improvement” as it is more commonly translated. The central idea is that it is always better to take the time to make improvements, even if operations are slowed down as a result.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are defined metrics that companies use to track performance next to established goals and objectives. These can be anything from sales stats, quality output, and waste mitigation. Within manufacturing, KPIs enable industry leaders to collect valuable insight into their operational, financial, and customer performance.
Lead Time
What is Lead Time Lead Time is the period between the customer placing an order and the product being delivered. It begins at the initiation of the purchase process and ends at the completion of the transaction. In many ways, Lead Time is the customer’s experience of the entire manufacturing process.
Lean Manufacturing
Lean Manufacturing is a production methodology used by manufacturers to eliminate waste, optimize value for the customer, and boost company productivity. By focusing on factors that add value and cutting activities that cause waste, companies can create more value while pursuing greater operational efficiency.
Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
Material Requirements Planning is an inventory management system that helps businesses plan, track, schedule, and monitor their manufacturing processes and material usage more efficiently.
Mixed-Model Assembly
Mixed-Model Assembly is a type of production system that produces several distinct products or models within one operation without decreasing productivity, efficiency, and quality. Within these environments, the number of products built on one line can reach up to hundreds of thousands of variations.
Net-Zero Economy
Climate change is drastically affecting the field of global industrial production, and manufacturing leaders are responding to the challenge.
On Premises
On Premises, also known as on-premises or on-prem, is a type of licensed software that is independently hosted on a private server physically at the client’s location. It is the alternative to Software-as-a-Service, which is based on cloud computing.
Pareto Principle
What Is the Pareto Principle? Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? It is the phenomenon that 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes. This principle can be seen in action across multiple areas of study like ecological environments, societal structures, work time management, and even language.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is considered to be any article of clothing or wearable equipment that shields and/or protects a person from injury. This includes reflective vests, hard hats, safety glasses, hazmat suits, and more than we can list.
Poka Yoke
Poka yoke is a Japanese term that means "mistake-proofing" or "error-proofing." It is a quality control method that aims to prevent mistakes or errors from occurring in the first place by designing processes and systems in a way that makes it difficult or impossible for mistakes to happen.
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are integral components of industrial hardware systems. Because they were designed to be used mostly by non-engineer workers, it takes just a little effort to understand how crucial PLCs are in application and the many advantages they bring to the shop floor.
Quality Management System (QMS)
A Quality Management System (QMS) is a set of business processes and procedures aimed at achieving a specific performance goal, meeting quality standards, and continuously improving operations.
Redundancy
A redundancy is a repetitive, unnecessary step in a process; in manufacturing, redundancies are deliberate fail-safe measures integrated into a production cycle for risk management and system control.
Root Cause Analysis
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a method used to find the root cause of any malfunction, deficiency, or problem. It is most famously used in industries such as healthcare, science, and manufacturing/engineering but its principles can be used in any environment.
Rule Engine
A rule engine is a type of logic that enables manufacturing actions to be automated based on specific guidelines or pre-established “rules”. They are comprised of 2 key features: Defined conditions;Subsequent appropriate reactions.By looking at the current conditions, the rule engine will enact the appropriate action based on the logic it has been given.
Smart Forms
What Are Smart Forms? Smart Forms enable companies to create interactive forms and checklists that integrate directly into your work instructions. To the rest of the world, Smart Forms are primarily a method of collecting data from workers on the shop floor.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
is an on-demand software licensing or web-based application platform offered on a subscription basis; it is under the umbrella of cloud computing. Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com SaaS is beneficial to companies that would like the flexibility of a custom program without the complicated and costly infrastructure.
SOP
A Standard Operating Procedure, more commonly known as an SOP, is a set of instructions for a frequently performed action. An optimal SOP needs to be straightforward enough to be understood by most people, seeing as it is created to standardize tasks and improve the quality control of administrational details.
Tribal Knowledge
What is Tribal Knowledge Tribal knowledge is a term used to describe the collective knowledge of any specific group of people. For every group and every role within a society, there is a specific set of knowledge and experience that has been cultivated over time.
Ready to apply these concepts to your own SMT material flow?
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