Combined Metal and Rubber in Car Producing - Assignment Example

? The Greenpower Car Word Count 889 (7 pages) Part 2 – Materials and Manufacture – (30% of assignment marks) Identify potential materials and manufacturing methods that may be used to produce 2 of the 4 components you selected in Part 1. Carefully consider the components form, function and operating environment in your selection process. Also take into account process ability of your materials and justify their selection by producing 2 attribute charts for each using the CES Edupack software. It is expected that you will provide 2 attribute charts for each material you select and approximately 500 words for each of your two components in this section. Introduction The components that will be analyzed here will heretofore include: 1) the brake disc which is made out of metal; and 2) the tyre which is made out of rubber. The Metal The metal on the brake disc is key as a component. The metal that is usually used on cars is metal that is made out of various kinds of metals that are mixed together—often known as combined metals. Brake discs made out of these metals are made with various different types of metal mixed together because the recombinant metals are stronger when mixed with each other. So, instead of just using pure silver—which is very soft, by itself and in its most purest form—a little bit of silver may be mixed with large amounts of other types of metals, including copper, bronze, and iron, in varying amounts. It really depends upon what the exact type of object is that is being formed, but, without a doubt—for brake discs, mixed or recombinant metals are definitely a major factor in deciding how to put a product together. Without a doubt, the metal that is used in brake discs goes a long way in terms of determining what type of metal will be therefore utilized for the ultimate design of the car. The Rubber Tyres are obviously going to be a big component of the car. And of course, the main focus about the tyre is going to be on the rubber in the tyres. Usually, rubber is used for various parts of the car that require a malleable material to produce a product. Rubber is actually a form of plastic—and it can be highly useful in terms of designing a car. For tyres, rubber can be extremely helpful in determining how a car part will be produced. Rubber is an at-times harder form of plastic which is useful in the production of several various auto parts—including, of course, the tyres. Of course, it would definitely depend upon the car part being produced, but generally speaking, for tyres, rubber is perfect for being integrated in the actual car part itself. Rubber has many uses where car manufacturers simply do not want or need to have very expensive parts utilized—and this is especially true of tyres, which can turn out to be very expensive. Further, it is better to place rubber products in a car where metals are not necessary. It’s very difficult to ascertain, but usually where plastic or rubber will suffice, it is used at every turn. For certain, it is probably most important that either plastic or rubber can be used for several various purposes, and that is why it is so helpful as a substance. Conclusion Whether it is metal or rubber that is used for brake disc(s) and tyre(s), both of these substances have most certainly had a profound effect on the way cars have been produced. Metals—usually combined metals—are utilized in order to make several different parts of the car. Of course, metal is not to be outrivaled by rubber—and also, alternatively, plastic—when it comes to having to use it in order to put extra parts on a car. Metal and rubber are both invaluable parts of any car for brake discs and tyres respectively, and it is hoped that these elements will be more utilized in the future in order to compete in a global economy. Metal and rubber are two very necessary substances in order to produce cars. Therefore, the production of metal and rubber must continue to be encouraged in foreign countries where such substances are supposedly produced more cheaply. No one single type of metal necessarily dominates in the metals except for its percentage of being in a bunch of combined metals. In essence, basically many metals that go into the metals in car production are varied in scope. The rubber materials and types of plastic used in the production of cars also is variegated itself. These two substances—metal and rubber—are obviously invaluable parts of how cars are produced with regard to brake discs and tyres, respectively. If we didn’t have metal, we wouldn’t have good brake discs, essentially. If we didn’t have rubber or plastic, tyres would not be able to be made to move the car forward. Metals are definitely very precious resources when it comes to car production. As most people are aware, in order for cars to be produced, some combinations of metals must be found in order to shape the brake discs, and subsequently for other parts underneath the car like the chassis, and also other elements of the car like the wheels. Rubber and various types of plastics are also used for the tyres and much of the interior. Both are very valuable substances which deserve their due. Thus, metal and rubber are very important components to any car which is competing on the world market for these reasons. In any case, these materials are both very valuable in order to complete the production of a car. Part 3 – Production Batch Size Considerations – (40% of assignment marks) The production of the Greenpower car can be considered as low volume production. For 1 of the 2 components you selected in Part 2, suggest how your decisions regarding materials and manufacture would be revised for medium and high volume production, where: Low volume < 50 cars/annum Medium volume 500-750 cars/annum High volume >5000 cars/annum Discuss what additional factors may be considered if the cars were being supplied fully assembled rather than in kit form. It is expected that you will provide approximately 1000 words in this section. Introduction The following elements will be examined, certainly with rapt interest: low volume production; decisions regarding materials and manufacture to be revised; and additional factors to be considered if the cars were being supplied fully assembled rather than in kit form. Metal is one absolutely completely necessary component of car production. Low, Medium, and High Volume Production Low volume production, or less than 50 cars produced per year—if it happens—would definitely mean that there would not be a need for as many metals. However, basically the amount of metal that would be needed for a few brake discs—since it would indeed be less—perhaps also means that some of the better metals could be used on the lesser amount of cars. It only makes sense that less metal overall could be used. Higher quality metal could be used since less cars would be produced. Less of everything would be produced, in fact, and that is why it is so key to remember that one does not necessarily have to ration resources in order to produce good cars. That becomes a problem with mass production. Producing brake discs and tyres for cars 500-750 could probably be reasonably produced locally without many problems. Brake discs and tyres over 5,000 in number would have to be produced by a mass manufacturing plant, probably somewhere in China—because that is where labor and materials would be cheapest to produce the materials needed for the cars. Decisions Regarding Materials and Manufacture to Be Revised Decisions regarding materials and manufacturing which need to be revised include: the amount of materials needed; the amount of manufacturing needed; and the type of manufacturing needed. Now, obviously, the amount of materials needed is going to be significantly less than the materials that would be needed in order to produce anything greater than low volume production, i.e., 50 cars or less produced per year (per annum). So, the good news is that the materials needed are going to be much less—especially when it comes to brake discs and rubber tyres. The amount of manufacturing needed is also going to be less—so basically, there will be much, much less metal that will be necessary in order to produce 50 cars than would be necessary to produce a number of any number of car orders greater than 50. The amount of manufacturing needed is probably going to be quite small, so, it might make sense to allow to have the car come in a kit. This will be discussed in the next section. But, basically, the amount of manufacturing that would be required if this car were to be assembled in a plant would be minimal. Within a day or two, all of the cars for the entyre year could be completed. Of course, it would take awhile to mathematically deduce how many line workers would be needed, and other types of workers needful for the job at hand. The type of manufacturing would probably include some sort of assembly line at that, and it is unsure to what degree how sophisticated the assembly line would get. However, what is known is that—in any case—a low volume production would mean that, overall, the items that would be least problematic to obtain would be the materials necessary for completing the job, with a minimal number of materials ultimately being of poor quality. Most likely, the items would be higher-quality since they would not require as much adjustment except for when they would be going down the assembly line. Thus, the pieces are similar to a puzzle which must be completed. Higher-quality materials could be utilized on less cars. However, the more popular a car gets, the more difficult it becomes to maintain quality because quality is being sacrificed (in some cases) for quantity. Of course, this is not always the case, but in a majority of cases it seems that, the higher the quality of the car, the less availability there is for that particular model. For 500-750 cars, the manufacturing materials would be easily enough gotten locally at a manufacturing plant—but for more than 5000 cars, an major car plant somewhere in Asia would have to be employed for such an undertaking (i.e., Japan, China, India, etc.). Unless there was a local plant that could handle at least a medium modicum of production, that would have to be farmed out to somewhere in Asia as well. Additional Factors: Fully Assembled vs. Kit Form There is a possibility that this car could come already fully assembled, but another possibility remains that the car could be introduced in kit form. Both options will be discussed here at some length. Brake discs and tyres might pose quite a challenge in kit form, but not so much in the assembly line. With a fully assembled car, there remain quite a few types of dilemmas which would be resultant of the fact that not that many cars would be needed to be produced on an assembly line. First of all, the assembly line workers would have to be hired. However, the position would only be hourly, because this would just be a temporary job until the 50 cars would be finished to put out the year’s total line of cars. Kits might make more sense because then hobbyists would be able to put together the car after getting the components in a few different shipments of parts. However, most people are not in the business of making cars. And, as desirable as the kit option may be, the fact remains that people are more willing to pay for a finished product. So, it is very possible that it might be best for the low volume production of this Greenpower car to be entrusted to the assembly line. After all, kits would be difficult to assemble; customers might want their money back if they couldn’t assemble the kits; and then a cacophony of resounding complaining would overrun the Greenpower company’s website, reviews from other people on websites, letters, phone calls, and investigations by the media. Thus, it makes sense to produce a product, mention that all sales are final, and then be able to stand behind the product that was produced. Kits have so much potential to have things go wrong when assembly is required, that there is a lot of liability inherent in kits where people have to assemble the cars themselves. Kits might not be, therefore, the best option to have as means of manufacturing this low volume production; rather, full assembly would make more sense. While full assembly would provide the customer with a finished product to which one could compare as a gold standard, versus a kit that would only present an unfinished product in pieces—the method of full assembly seems to make more strategical sense in that regard. Conclusion The following elements have been examined regarding the production of cars, especially with regard to brake discs and tyres: low volume production; decisions which had to be revised regarding materials and manufacture; and additional factors like whether the cars would be supplied fully assembled or in kit form. Many factors were taken into account assessing these various aspects. BIBLIOGRAPHY CES edupack—information for student users. (2011). [Online Article]. Available: . Read More