A STUDY OF US MACHINE SHOPS WITH JUST-IN-TIME CUSTOMERS

Presents the findings of a comprehensive survey conducted among a wide variety of US machine shops. The objectives of the study were to deve lop the literature-based just-in-time (JIT) machine shop model and to study empirically the changes taking place in the operation of machine shops in response to increasing demands by customers for JIT deliveri es of products. Determines basic facility operating characteristics, m achine operator characteristics, shopfloor control policies, and overa ll shop performance characteristics of machine shops having a signific ant level of sales to JIT customers. Discusses these findings with res pect to the JIT machine shop model described in the previous literatur e. Supplies descriptive information for machine shops having little or no sales to JIT customers, to identify operating differences between the two classes of machine shops.