Just-in-Time Manufacturing and New Materials

Just-in-Time Manufacturing

The concept of just-in-time (JIT) production is easy. It is a means of dropping inventory of raw materials & purchased parts. The advantage to the large company of following a just-in-time policy with its suppliers is that inventories are dramatically dropped off. Rather than keeping several days for supply of parts on the hand for ultimate assembly, the inventory buffer is dropped off to hours.

New Materials

New & unconventional materials are being chosen by designers of new products. In the automobile industry it trend is exemplified by the use of composite materials for car body panels in place of traditional sheet steel. The compensation of the newer materials includes lighter weight & greater shape and styling flexibility. Letting the size of the automobile market each of year and the amount material involved per car, the influences of this material substitution on the U. S. economy shall be substantial. The aircraft industry is another raising user of composites. Other materials being utilized with greater frequency in design applications traditionally satisfied by metals include plastics and ceramics. These non traditional materials must be shaped by processing techniques that are completely different from those utilized in metalworking. There are significant challenges confronting industries to deal with these new technologies.