Determination of the optimum implementation plan for manufacturing technologies - The case of a helicopter fuselage

This paper presents an approach to determine manufacturing technology imple mentation scenarios as a function of time. The optimum paths from the point of view of minimum investment or maximum recurring cost savings are determ ined, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The logic and t he results of a software code created to determine these paths are describe d. Hybrid scenarios that compromise between the two cases of minimum invest ment and maximum recurring cost savings are also presented. The approach is based on using a target optimum technology mix that yields the lowest recu rring cost with a given probability. This target is determined assuming tha t all candidate technologies are available immediately and are applicable o ver the entire structure. Then, the applicability of the candidate technolo gies as a function of time is determined, and the non-recurring cost associ ated with process and product development is calculated as a function of ti me. The applicability and non-recurring cost are used to generate time-depe ndent implementation paths that reach the target technology mix with lowest investment or maximum yearly recurring cost savings.