Course overview
The aim of this course is to develop students’ advanced understanding of the design, analysis, and optimisation of modern manufacturing systems. Students will learn to evaluate performance, make informed engineering decisions, and apply advanced approaches such as lean, JIT, agile manufacturing, FMS, CIM, and Industry 4.0 technologies. In addition to technical expertise, students will develop professional skills in teamwork, communication, and digital collaboration, preparing them to design and implement intelligent, efficient, and adaptive production systems for contemporary industrial environments.
- Fundamentals of Manufacturing Systems
- Design of Transformation Systems
- Manufacturing Concepts & Trends
Course learning outcomes
- Explain the structure, purpose, and key components of manufacturing systems, including flowlines, assembly systems, and cellular layouts, and describe their role in modern production.
- Analyse the performance of manufacturing systems using key production metrics, including throughput, utilisation, work-in-progress, and lead time, and interpret data to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
- Design and evaluate manufacturing systems that meet product requirements, facility objectives, and operational constraints, applying layout strategies, operational, design-related economic, and resource considerations, and advanced concepts such as Group Technology, Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS), and Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM).
- Apply lean, just-in-time (JIT), and agile manufacturing principles to optimise responsiveness, reduce waste, and improve production flow, while collaborating using digital communication tools.
- Assess strategic manufacturing economics and emerging technologies (Industry 4.0, smart factories, automation), reflecting on trade-offs between performance, cost, and capacity to make informed decisions in intelligent production systems.
Degree list
The following degrees include this course