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• Senior Design Projects

Senior Design Projects

Offline Area: Process Analysis and Redesign-FedEx SmartPost

Students:  Betty Cheng and Jennifer Lowry

Advisor: Dr. Charlene Yauch

   This project involved the redesign of the manual processing area at the FedEx SmartPost facility.  A need for increased productivity was identified and became the focus of this effort.  The team accomplished the goal of increasing efficiency by focusing on two sub-objectives: 1) increasing worker productivity and 2) reducing error rates occurring within this area.  These objectives were achieved by gathering and analyzing data obtained from the client, research, interviews, time studies, and observations.  The major findings of this project are an expected 16.5% increase in productivity and a projected $76,650 cost savings.

 

 

Process Redesign-KitPackers

Studets:  Juvissa Marks and Craig Rekowski

Advisor: Prof. John Farrow

  Kitpackers requested an analysis of their processes to improve on-time delivery and reduce work in-process.  The manufacturing process and the floor layout were redesigned resulting in changes to the manufacturing area as well as storage and staging areas to improve organization and efficiency.  The redesign of the process improves material flow, reduces work in-process, and improves productivity.  The team used lean manufacturing analysis to create cellular manufacturing.  These cells reduce Kitpackers on-time delivery problems and work in-process.  This solution also provides more flexibility for workers and products.

 

 

Lead Time Reduction-Stainless Foundry & Engineering

Students:  Craig Hazledine and Jason Meier

Advisor: Dr. Charlene Yauch

  Currently, the lead time for Stainless's lost wax investment casting division is estimated at 10-12 weeks.  A customer's desire for faster service has served as motivation to decrease lead time to 4-5 weeks.  As a result of this effort, major changes are recommended: implementation of 5S, an improved employee training and retention program, more accurate scheduling, increased Dip room capacity, and cellular manufacturing.  The combination of these changes should result in the required lead time reduction while maintaining current quality levels.

 

 

UPS Route Improvement-United Parcel Service

Students:  Monica Block and Pavel Katsev

Project Advisor:  Dr. Tom Schuppe

  Two Milwaukee area UPS distribution centers desired to improve their PM Air Express package pick-up routes. On the routes, drivers pick up express packages between the hours of five and nine pm on weekdays. Each driver is typically assigned to a specific geographic area. The goal of this project was to reduce the cost function of the routes, specifically by reducing miles traveled.  The project was approached mathematically; possible solutions were researched in literature and implemented programmatically. The final solution was a heuristic - or algorithm - with a user interface that solved the traveling salesman problem of scheduling the drivers within each geographic area.