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Abstract:
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Complexity is a relatively new phenomenon for many textile plants that are
experiencing greater product mix variety and change. Any operating condition of
manufacturing, especially if unfamiliar or unmeasured, is difficult if not impossible to
manage. As the American textile industry looses market share in commodity fabrics
to lower cost imports, textile plants are increasingly challenged to reposition or
expand their product mix into more profitable areas. This increased product mix
diversification across the plant has led to higher manufacturing cost due to an
irregular increase in the consumption of resources such as labor and supplies.
This research determined the resource consumption patterns within a weaving
plant based upon different theoretical levels of manufacturing complexity. Resource
consumption was then tied to expected productivity in terms of cost per 100,000 yards
of filling inserted. Manufacturing complexity was defined in terms of the number of
different weave styles produced within the plant coupled with the amount of style
change incurred over a fixed time interval.
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