The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	A study of a production control system in a job order die casting plant
Author:	Woodnorth, Robert Gordon
View Online:	njit-etd1958-003 (vi, 96 pages ~ 7.2 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Management Engineering
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Management Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Sizelove, Oliver J. (Committee chair)
Date:	1958
Keywords:	Production control
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	This thesis examines the production planning and control system in a job-order die casting plant. After comparing to the criteria for an ideal system the following changes were recommended. 1. Central work storage and dispatching. This would reduce work in process and workload fluctuations through closer planning. It would also provide a perpetual inventory system and a central control point which would be constantly informed of production progress. 2. Operator trucking. By having operators do their own trucking material handling costs and production delays would be reduced. 3. Simplified job cost accounting. The use of standard costs for finishing and inspection operations would reduce accounting clerical work and eliminate all timekeeping activities in the Finishing and Inspection departments. 4. Simplied timekeeping. By basing bonus payments on the operator's overall daily efficiency rather than on each job, all checking out except at the end of the day is eliminated. 5. Punched card equipment. One of the objects of this thesis was to examine the possibility of applying automatic office equipment to the production planning and control system. However the expense of a tabulating system is not justified, if the foregoing recommendations are carried out, because the repetitive clerical tasks have been largely eliminated. Therefore the purchase or rental of punched card equipment is not recommended. 6. Application. It is recommended that the installation of central work storage and dispatching and operator trucking be postponed until the new plant is built because of space limitations in the present plant. The recent adoption of tabulating equipment for payroll preparation and job cost accounting should be evaluated when the installation is complete and the system should be compared to the proposals for simplified job cost accounting and simplified timekeeping.