Category: Manufacturing

Should W-S have added the new line?

On the whole, it might have been possible for W-S to eliminate idle capacity by restructuring the process of manufacturing, rather than by adding a new product line, for which there already was competition in the market. Also, it may have been an option to add a different product line, for which there was not such strong competition in the market. However, if that could not have been done, then it is probable that adding the new product line of sports suits and coats for boys was an optimal solution to the problem, and the W-S should have added the new line.

Evaluate the companys approach to structuring the product line

It might be stated that the approach of the company to structuring the product line is rather effective. Using the same brand name for most of its products, and utilizing only two brand names on the whole, permitted the customers to easily recognize the manufacturer and purchase their products, therefore helping with keeping the customers loyalty. The general approach of selling the apparel via the salespersons has proven reliable over the long term, and allowed for effectual spending of money on the purposes of marketing and advertisement.

Assuming that the company adds the new line, what should be the overall marketing strategy?

When it comes to the marketing strategy of the company for the new line of products, it is apparent that these products ought to be marketed by tying them to the already existing products and brands of the business. This should permit the customers to recognize the new line of products as manufactured by W-S, therefore tapping into the loyalty of the clients who are already committed to W-S. Simultaneously, it might be a viable decision to make an attempt to sell these products at lower prices, for the clients purchasing apparel for children are stated to be price conscious quite frequently.

Financial trend analysis for Pinnacle Manufacturing Company

Debt to equity, Net income before tax/sales, gross margin percentage, inventory turnover

Summary of observations about Pinnacles business

The company continues to experience growth in both net sales and cost of sales in 2012 and 2013. However, the rate of growth in 2012 was higher than that reported in 2013. Besides, the rate of growth for the cost of sales is higher than that of net sales. This leads to a decrease in the rate of growth of gross profit margin. The company resorted to cost-cutting strategies which led to the 2.51% decline in operating expenses in 2013. This strategy led to an increase in income from operations by 1.87% in 2013. The net income before tax to sales shows that the company is profitable even though there was a slight decline in the rate of growth.

In the balance sheet section, there was significant growth in net receivables and inventory in 2013. The rate of growth of receivables indicates a probable collection problem now and in the future. Further, the rate of growth of inventory may lead to a build-up. This may cause an increase in inventory handling costs and obsolescence. It also explains the decline in inventory turnover. The current ratio deteriorated.

This shows that the ability of the company to settle immediate obligations using current assets is declining. Despite the trend observed, the value of the current ratio is still high and it is not a cause of concern. The debt to equity ratio increased during the period. It shows that the leverage level increased due to an increase in the debt level. This may be a cause of concern because the use of too much debt puts shareholders funds at risk. The interest expense reduces profits.

A common-size income statement for 2011-2013

Pinnacle Manufacturing. The common size, income statement. For the year ended 31^st December.

Accounts for which there is a concern about material misstatements

Data for evaluating the potential for misstatements

The information in previous parts focuses on the performance of the entire company. Therefore, it is suitable for analyzing the potential misstatements in all accounts apart from the direct expenses. For the direct expenses, it is suitable to use the disaggregated information for each division.

The likelihood that Pinnacle is likely to fail financially in the next 12 months

There is a low likelihood that the Pinnacle manufacturing company will fail financially in the next twelve months. The results show that the company has been profitable during the period of analysis and that it is making adequate cash flow. Besides, there are no indications that the company is facing financial difficulties. Even though some ratios such as current ratio and debt to equity have declined, they are still high enough to cause an alarm over the going concern of the business.

Abstract

Manufacturing of garments by Future Apparel Inc. does not satisfactory conform to the standards of lean manufacturing. The status of Future Apparel Inc. lean manufacturing was conducted through manufacturing analysis. The Future Apparel Inc. manufacturing was found to have waste of motion of employees, machines and handling; wastes of overproduction due to failure to manufacture to order; wastes of waiting for a machine to complete its cycle time or for materials to arrive hence failure to adopt Just-In-Time manufacturing; processing wastes due to use of many steps that resulted into inventory wastes characterized by work in progress and defect wastes subject to pure wastes.

The lean elements that were proposed for managing the manufacturing wastes were based on type of manufacturing waste identified. The case report proposed Future Apparel Inc. should adopt lean manufacturing and integrate ERP and PLM best practices.

Introduction

Lean manufacturing is defined as implementation, functionality and sustainability of a manufacturing system that has capacity to identify sources of waste in manufacturing process and implements an adequate methodology for reducing the waste or decreasing the non-value adding activities (Ruffa, 2008). A manufacturing system is a function of waste components because the manufacturing process is not ideal.

Lean manufacturing seeks to create customer value through sustainability in the management of activities that could contribute into manufacturing waste as a derivative of deficiencies to create customer value. Lean manufacturing as an element of management differs from organizational system management because it involves time utility and inventory management. The rationale of efficient lean manufacturing is to realize continuous flow without presence of work-in-progress inventory. This contributes into a single piece flow of a product.

This essay reports on the manufacturing status of Future Apparel Inc. and presents the manufacturing problems that contribute into manufacturing waste, presents elements of lean that should be used to fix the manufacturing problems and concludes with mechanism for implementing the solutions to the manufacturing problems based on lean manufacturing principles.

Process of determining the manufacturing waste

The sources of the manufacturing problems were identified through manufacturing analysis that involved application of lean principles (Liker, 2004). The manufacturing analysis was carried out to identify areas in the manufacturing cycle where manufacturing improvement was required to increase capability for creating customer value. The manufacturing analysis began with analysis and assessment of current status of manufacturing operations and determination of manufacturing operations to create customer value.

The manufacturing operation analysis and assessment provided baseline data that was vital in determining mechanism through which manufacturing operation improvement could be achieved and benchmarked. This was followed by determination of manufacturing improvement goals and mechanism they were aligned to cost saving policy.

Manufacturing analysis and assessment involved site floor observations on manufacturing operations, efficiencies of manufacturing lines, interviews of the line managers and employees (Holweg, 2007). The process of data collection involved waste identification, manufacturing value analysis and determination of factors that affected volumetric of manufacturing throughput. The data collected was used to form manufacturing value stream mapping.

The improvement objectives post value stream mappings were aligned to determine mechanism non-value added activities contributed into manufacturing waste. Feasibility analysis on non-value added activities sought to identify and estimate costs savings that could be achieved post management of non-value added activities (Liker, 2004). The analysis was extended to include possibilities of manufacturing interruptions, manufacturing delays, man-hours and percentage of time spent on every single task in order to determine manufacturing efficiency. The manufacturing analysis outcomes provided baseline information on value added activities against non-value added activities. The outcome formed foundation for improving manufacturing and reducing costs based on management of workflow processes.

Description of the manufacturing wastes

The Future Apparel Inc. faced problems that were characterized by inability to meet manufacturing deadlines. There manufacturing problems were characterized by increased waste of motions of employees. As a result, many of the employees were under-employed based on ratio of manufacturing output and returns on investment. There were many manufacturing lines that were idle as they waited for raw materials to be delivered from other manufacturing lines.

Manufacturing inefficiencies in one manufacturing line resulted into manufacturing inefficiencies in another line. The low rate of handling of materials between manufacturing lines resulted into very low effective man-hours worked. The presence of many manufacturing lines demonstrated that the processing of the garments had many unnecessary steps. The processing steps had contributed into increase of production costs in terms of employees, managers for manufacturing lines and machines maintenance and repair expenses when many machines were idle most of the time.

The manufacturing problems that resulted into waste of motion with regard to employees and machines resulted into waiting. The long cycles of manufacturing in one dependent line affected manufacturing efficiency of the other lines. Communication barriers affected manufacturing efficiencies. The top down communication approach and high power distance created an environment where employees dependent on top management on decisions regarding manufacturing. Manufacturing delays were further brought about by delay of materials from suppliers. This showed there were no shared strategies between the company and its supply chain. Delay in supply of materials to the manufacturing unit interrupted continuity of manufacturing hence the manufacturing was characterized by interruption of continuity of manufacturing processes.

Procurement of large quantity of materials resulted into overproduction of garments. This resulted into waste of overproduction through non-moving inventory. This resulted into build up of inventory due to failure to manufacture to order or based on market demand.

In some instances, the initial manufacturing step and finishing steps could be idle when the middle manufacturing steps were very busy. For instance, the cutting of materials into the required garment design took less time compared to sewing steps or joinery steps of the pieces into garments. The same applied to finishing step that involved assessment on whether the garment had been sown well, ironing of the garments and packing of the garments that were idle most of the time. This implied there was build up of inventory in the middle manufacturing steps. This meant work in progress between manufacturing operations affected lead time. This demonstrated the middle manufacturing steps had system based problems that affected continuous flow of manufacturing. This was brought about by long cycle times in the middle manufacturing steps.

The initial step that involved cutting materials into desired shapes resulted into high defects. There was overproduction of waste materials which resulted into pure wastes. The efficiency of manufacturing was therefore low measured in terms of investment and returns on investment. The company salary scale was based on a daywork plan which meant that employees were being paid for non-productive time. The workers compensation was not affected by the output.

Elements of lean manufacturing for fixing the manufacturing problems

The rationale for determination of element of lean manufacturing that could have been used to fix the manufacturing problem was based on requirement to use the cost defective method for every identified manufacturing waste.

The elements for fixing manufacturing wastes were:

1. Managing waste of motion hence idling of employees and machines
2. Managing waste from overproduction hence build up of inventory
3. Managing waiting of employees and machines to finish a manufacturing cycle
4. Managing manufacturing processing steps
5. Managing inventory in terms of work in progress
6. Managing defects emerging from pure defects produced in manufacturing line

Implementing the solution

Managing daywork remuneration plan

The company should change its employee remuneration strategy from daywork plan that is not dependent on output into using a measured daywork plan where remuneration is based on output (Petterson, 2009). The engineering time standards recommend use of a measured daywork plan as a form of control system for cost expenses. As a result of using measured daywork plan, the employee manufacturing tasks are based on sets of tasks completed.

This ensures employees performance promotes productivity hence making employees to attain or exceed production rate. Measured daywork has capability to provide analytical tool that could be used to determine production output as a function of labor cost which ensures the company could retain the right number of employees. Use of the right number of employees decreases costs and increases marginal returns hence profitability of the company. In order for the measured workday plan to contribute into company profitability, there should be increased level of supervision of manufacturing lines to ensure there are no large lot of production at a given manufacturing line which could contribute into increased cycle time.

Employee motivation should be increased to ensure employees are able to manufacture garments to set engineering standards (Ruffa, 2008). This ensures the employees understand manufacturing standards expectations. The line managers should provide employees with feedback on manufacturing goals. A reason for failure to meet manufacturing tasks for a day should be documented.

Managing waste of motion

There should be management strategies to decrease opportunities of waste of motion that occurs when as employees seek instruments and tools that are used to perform different tasks. Tools should that employees require to work with should be assigned by the procurement manager to the liner supervisors. This helps to reduce congestion of employees at the tool stores (Holweg, 2007). Tools that perform a specific task should be grouped or stored at the same tool rack to ensure they are easily accessible. The storage and handling of tools should conform to occupational health and safety standards through education of users to ensure the machines are adequately serviced and service dates are complied with. The safety status of the machines and other equipments should be followed based on manufacturers manual.

Protocols should be set such that employees should acquire tools that they require to use as they start their days tasks. The line managers should ensure the manufacturing line has enough tools that are required to complete a specific task.

Managing waste of overproduction

The manufacturing operations should be tailored to manufacture to order. This ensures the manufacturing does not contribute into waste of overproduction which results into build up of inventory. The manufacturing, when it is not based on order, should conform to market demand (Bicheno, 2004). This implies, review of past market demand trends should help in determining the possible current demand. Build up of inventory decreases capital that could be used to make company investment. The company capability to manufacture to service results into pacing production to market demand. This contributes into an efficient and effective manufacturing system. It also decreases wastes that are related to resources (human, material, energy) and operations management.

Managing waiting waste

The waiting waste should be managed by ensuring the lean manufacturing is structured such that manufacturing has shared strategies with suppliers of materials. This ensures materials are supplied in time for use (Petterson, 2009). The company should consider its supply chain as part of business extension since suppliers influence lead times. Communication should be improved across the line managers and suppliers in order to improve lead times. There should be partnership in implementing just-in-time manufacturing, strategic and operational manufacturing planning. The company should integrate its suppliers in quality control, manufacturing methods and as extension of its social corporate responsibility strategy.

Managing wastes of processing

The manufacturing cycle times should have minimal steps. Use of higher number of processing steps result into work in progress wastes which impacts negatively on the lead time. Processing steps should be combined in order to reduce manufacturing cycle times. There should be restructuring of the lean manufacturing process layout, manufacturing design and manufacturing flow (Ruffa, 2008). Manufacturing control methods should be applied in order to decrease opportunities for wastes of processing.

The company should invest in improving the standards and quality of her processing procedures, reformulate its processing operation methods and initiate core values that should be observed to decrease wastes of processing. The company should shift its measures for efficiency and replace its traditional efficiency measures with components like inventory turns and lead time. The company should continuously invest in improving design of processing.

Managing wastes of work in progress

Wastes that occur as a result of work in progress should be managed through solving system problems that contribute into long cycle times. More resources should be invested at a point in the manufacturing cycle where potential of a long cycle time is likely to be observed. Management of long cycle times reduces waiting wastes and wastes of motion of employees (Bicheno, 2004). The company should demonstrate continuous improvement subject to investment in improving her product manufacturing processes, decrease manufacturing wastes emerging from work in progress and enhance her product performance.

The system based problems should be managed by using a demand based flow manufacturing. This would result into use of inventories when they are meant to meet customer manufacture to order or service. This helps to decrease cycle times, decrease inventory build up, increase productivity and profitability and increase capital utility.

Managing wastes of defects

The cutting of the garments should maximize on quantity of pieces that could be realized from a square unit of material. The manufacturing of garments should be based on attainment of efficient production which contributes into manufactured to engineering standards (Ruffa, 2008). The employees should be educated on manufacturing to standards. Supervision of manufacturing should contribute into identification of causes of defective garments that dont meet required standards.

The management should invest in prevention of defects as opposed to carrying out scrapping and repairs which affect lead times, capacity to quick response and potential of the company to implement Just-In-Time tools. There should be improvement in handling of garments, improvement of performance management of employees and demonstration to comply with customers product quality expectations.

Feasibility and sustainability of lean manufacturing

Lean manufacturing should be structured on data on customer demand for the products. This ensures the company manufactures to order, manages wastes of overproduction, decreases wastes of waiting, decreases waste of processing, decreases wastes of inventory, reduces wastes of defects hence achieves continuous flow of manufacturing (Holweg, 2007). Lean manufacturing ensures operations are defined by leveling, need to achieve lead times, reduce wastes in manufacturing materials, increase manufacturing space (through organization and proper storage of materials) and improved management of time. Lean manufacturing results into improvement of safety hence compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

Recommendations

The company should adopt right mix of lean tools, technology and manufacturing processes in order to reduce manufacturing wastes. The company should develop a holistic lean manufacturing culture that is based on consistency of manufacturing to engineering standards. The company should improve on technology in order to benefit from lean manufacturing. The level of companys technological level impacts on ability to implement ERP solutions that have capacity to support implementation of lean principles hence sustainability of lean manufacturing.

The company should harmonize lean manufacturing with ERP in order to gain economic value from value stream mapping and ensure it achieves capability to eliminate opportunities of manufacturing wastes. The company should stream its business lean culture such that it promotes innovation and creativity that are instrumental for the sustainability of the company growth and long run profitability. The company should integrate PLM best practices into lean principles in order to create an environment for its innovation, and knowledge acquisition hence be positioned to gain top line benefits as well as bottom line benefits.

References

Bicheno, J., (2004). The new lean toolbox: towards fast, flexible flow, Buckingham: PICSIE Books.

Holweg, Matthias (2007). The genealogy of lean production. Journal of Operations Management 25 (2): 420437.

Liker, J.K., (2004). The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the Worlds Greatest Manufacturer, New York: McGraw-Hill.

Pettersen, J., (2009). Defining lean production: some conceptual and practical issues. The TQM Journal, 21(2), 127  142.

Ruffa, Stephen A. (2008). Going Lean: How the Best Companies Apply Lean Manufacturing Principles to Shatter Uncertainty, Drive Innovation, and Maximize Profits. AMACOM.

Introduction

Most consumers always considered plastics as a cheap product, but that notion is no longer practiced today. Manufacturers are often finding different uses of plastics, such as in automobiles parts, computers, toys, medical equipment, school or sports equipment, cutlery, and a cloth or textile products. This is an indication that the plastic manufacturing industries are on a steady and fast growth scheme. Historically, the natural materials that were in use included the horns from animals and other parts such as scales and the trees.

A good example of a tree is the gutta-percha. Plastic is therefore either a manmade or a synthetic polymer that has very high similarities to other plants and trees. A polymer is a complex organic but versatile substance produced through a procedure known as polymerization, which presents capability for change through casting, casting or extruding. This term paper forms an analysis of the manufacturing process referencing particularly on the plastic cups.

Historical Overview

Shells such as that tortoise, amber, and horns are natural polymers and from history, people often similarly used them as contemporary manufactured plastics. According to (Rosato, 2006), unveiling of the first man-made plastic occurred in 1862 when Alexander Parkes made and presented it in a Londons great international exhibition. Registration of the widely used and obvious material called polyvinyl chloride (PVC), occurred in 1914 but people utilized it extensively after the First World War (Rosato, 2006). The enhancement of plastics products occurs by means of petroleum. Todays products have replaced other materials such as glass, wood and metal.

Other new plastic materials such as polyester, polyurethane, polycarbonates, polypropylene, silicones, emerged later and are in use up-to-date for various appliances. The cost-effectiveness of plastics makes them locally available for end-users and common among consumers. High technological plastics are common in health and hi-tech worlds. Today, there is a continuous approach to production of new types and forms of plastics used in a wide range of applications. They are able to offer different customized properties for unique applications (Rosato, 2006).

Technical description of the material

Manufacturing of plastic cups mainly occurs from the high density or low-density polythene, polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or polystyrenes often called resins (Leadbitter et al, 1994). The recycling programs avail a variety of plastic materials for recycling. All plastics have an initial health and environmental impact however, they all differ on the manufacturing procedures and different additional materials used in the manufactory procedures.

Some of the chemical raw materials contain combinations that are more toxic and are thus more hazardous during production, use as well as disposal. None of the aforementioned materials is environmentally friendly, but polyethylene contains lesser chemical hazards compared to other options. The manufacturing firms therefore prefer them compared to polystyrenes and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (Leadbitter et al, 1994).

Manufacturers choose this material due to various qualities such as simplicity and the ability to enhance high performers in various industries. Manufacturers measure plastic performance levels by checking on the strength of the material and the reinforcement ability or compatibility with other materials such as fiberglass.

Manufacture of the polyvinyl Chlorine (PVC) occurs through polymerization. The raw materials are mainly natural gases and oils. The plastic cup as a result emanates from hydrocarbons monomers. Monomers join to form a long chain-link of the polymer compound. The common examples of these polymers include polystyrene, polypro pane, and polyethylene. Carbon and hydrogen molecules link to form the monomers.

Other elements include chlorine, oxygen, nitrogen and fluorine, which are in majority of the plastics. In line with (Rosato, 2006), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contains chlorine. Nylon contains nitrogen. Teflon contains fluorine. Polyester and polycarbonates contain oxygen.

Manufacturers break up the plastic materials into thermo-sets and thermoplastics. The majority of the plastic cups are recyclable thermoplastics. Meaning that it is possible to heat and reform them repeatedly. The easiness of processing and recycling consequently facilitates reprocessing to conserve the environment. On the other hand, thermo-sets are not recyclable. Reheating such materials causes decompositions rather than melting.

Material properties

The general attributes of plastics include resistance to chemicals such as cleaning solvents. They have strong and aggressive resistance to powerful chemical solvents. Plastics have unique characteristics that relate to portability and strength. The plastics are easy to process in various ways, and it is possible to intricate them to various molds. Some of these plastics are very flexible since the manufacturing process utilizes materials that mimic cotton, wool, fiber, cotton or silk.

The flexibility enhances ability to mold materials, drums and mix with different solvents, thus facilitating the emergence of paints or adhesives. The characteristics and color of polymers seem limitless and as a result, they have broader application capabilities. Although mainly made from naturally occurring gases such as crude oils and polymers for plastic cups, other materials can also be from other economically viable renewable materials, for instance the cellulose acetate for the handles of equipment.

The safety of health requires a material that is not able to chip out or break easily. This means that ability to remain durable and strong under harsh conditions eases the manufacturing process and enhances the environmentally conducive alternatives of plastics. A manufacture ought to consider various factors before deciding on the raw materials. They include ability to facilitate color, stability under harsh conditions, processing easiness and the overall cost.

Durability, safeness of operation and support for different operating conditions enhance the strength of polymer materials. Plastic cups should generally be resistant to possible breakages, abrasion-resistant, rigid and resistant to deforms. People often subject the cups too high temperatures; therefore, they must be resistant to such general conditions. According to Bryce (1996), Unstable chemicals and weak bonds are more prone to oxidative cleavage, which initiates a chain reaction of degradation. The chemical combination hence withstands degradation.

Plastics are equally resistant to chemical reactions, water and oil solvents. Other than being non-toxicant to the user, the cups are free from reaching. Reliance is also an important property that the plastic cups must possess. They are often subject to abuse and to prevent breakage, it is important that manufacturers ensure they are fatigue resistant and retain shape. This calls for flexibility and depends on the molecular structure, crystalline nature, humidity and other secondary forces of attraction such as hindering static problems and polarity (Bryce, 1996).

Economics

The economics of scale places the plastic material under high competitive status. Plastic overthrows alternative materials because it provides similar or better strength and quality compared to another material type. Availability of alternative materials requires analysis based on the financial viability. Any kind of manufacturing must ensure the economics of scale measures up to the health, safety, flexibility and returns.

Manufacturability

The manufacturing process of plastic substances such as cups utilizes an energy-saving mechanism. The polythene bottles and cups manufactory also utilizes several toxic materials that often lead to emissions. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) rarely requires plasticizers to reduce contaminations. In most cases, highly intoxicating substances use additives such as phthalates, to reduce the quantity, amount as well as the rate of toxicities. According to United States, Congress (1990), on the issue of competing manufacturing, Some applications use flame-retardant additives, which brominate and may end up being toxic. The plastic has a high probability of mechanical recycling. Through recycling, the manufacturers have to collect the used materials for curbside programs that cater to recycling.

Manufacturing Process

The production of plastic cups involves blending the High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) material with additives to process the final products. The additives enhance the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the raw material. The additives also assist in protection of the products from degrading effects such as effects by light, moderate heat and bacterial effects. The additives enhance other properties such as the likelihood of color changes or structural change and provide an improvement of appearance for instance improvement of surface appearance, and reduction of friction.

Plasticizers are materials incorporated during the manufacturing process to improve or enhance on the workability and flexibility of plastic products. (United States, Congress, 1990) The additives are safe and standardized by food bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to guarantee health or human safety (United States, Congress, 1990). There are various processing procedures. The first process includes extrusion.

Plastic pallets are loaded into a heat chamber known as an extruder or hopper and moved along the chamber in a rotating process to ensure uniformity of the liquidated plastic. The heating mechanism in the compartment emanates from the mechanical process of revolution and sidewall metals that become extremely hot. The molten plastic material forcedly flows out of the extruder through a small aperture to shape the required equipment. The cooling process occurs at the end by the use of cool air or water (Harper, 2006).

Alternative manufacturing process

The injection molding mechanism involves almost a similar heating mechanism to the extrusion mechanism. The granules pass through the heating chamber and become softer to fluid state. The process subjects the resin to high pressure, which forces it through an outlet to the cooling process to produce a solid shape. Another alternative involves the blow molding, which is a conjunction between injection and extrusion techniques. In the aim of producing uniform molten mold, the extrusion process pusses the plastic through the heating chamber of the extruder and the material become softer to a fluid state.

The molten plastic is able to melt because of the extrusion procedure of blowing mold. The process forces compressed air into the tube for conformation and brings out the exact shape of the product. The goal of the procedure is to produce an interior made of uniform mold and blown to a specific shape of the product. The procedure also tries to avoid production of separate parts of an item that requires some joining to form the final product.

In injection molding, the process subjects an intermediate form known as performing to heat and blow the softened plastic to the required shape of chilled mold (Harper, 2006). Lastly, rotational molding comprises a closed mold mounted to a special machine that rotates on double axis and is able to distribute molten plastic into uniform coating on the inside of the machine until the final product appears through cooling.

Comparison between Different Cups from a Manufacturing View

Non-durable Vs Durables Plastic Products

The classification of plastic products occurs through analysis of their life spans. Durables have more than three years lifespan and the products are mainly appliance, furniture, consumer goods, automobiles parts, building and construction materials (Harper, 2006). The comparison also depends on the major plastics such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) a major material for the manufacture of food and beverage containers due to properties such as clarity, heat resistance as well as moisture resistance. The ability to cater to high temperatures enables manufacturers to consider items that are applicable in food preheating procedures such as food dishes. The cups can be ideal microwave heat-resistant products.

On the other hand, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), provides excellent resistance to moisture and chemicals. The plastics are however limited to food containers and other similar applications that do not require an oxygen or carbon dioxide barricade. They are mainly for the non-carbonated foods and packaging of most household foods due to the chemical resistance mechanism. Lastly, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) has remarkable characteristics such as excellent transparency, resistance to chemicals, overall stability, ability to withstand harsh weather conditions and characteristics in support of electric energy insulation, resistance to corrosions and flexibility. PVC is more suitable for the construction markets.

Conclusion

Plastic has a vital role in todays economy, the versatility allows people to have a wide range of applications. The provision by plastics is at consumer-friendly costs and food containers such as cups are readily and locally available. The main qualities a consumer ought to check is safety, health, durability, value for money and performance. The manufacture of plastic is for helping consumers to find effective alternatives.

References

Bryce, D. (1996). Plastic injection moulding: manufacturing process fundamentals. New York, NY: Society of Manufacturing Engineers press.

Harper, C. (2006). Handbook of plastic processes. Canada. Wiley Publishers.

Leadbitter, J. Day, J and Ryan, J. (1994). PVC-Compounds, Processing and Applications. Rapra Review Reports. 7(6). United Kingdom: Rapra Technology Limited.

Rosato, D. (2006). Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing & Data Handbook. Plastics Institute of America. (Volume, 2). Massachusetts, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

United States, Congress. (1990). Making Things Better: Competing In Manufacturing. Washington, WA: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Judging from this photograph, one can identify at least two types of wastes that are inherent to this company; namely waiting and transportation. It is quite probable that the employees of this enterprise have to continuously wait for the delivery of materials. There is a very long lag between different production steps due to this disorderly storage of inventory. Furthermore, we can suppose that they have to move materials from one place to another when they search for specific component or tool. This can also be viewed as excessive transportation. It is possible to take several steps to address each of these problems. In particular, we will focus on the first three phases of 5S methodology. The first step that need to be taken is sorting; essentially, one has to remove those tools and materials which are not necessary for production process. The workers need to divide inventory into three groups:

1. tools and materials that are continuously used by manufactures;
2. tools that are not used at the given moment but can be used in the future;
3. either defective or unused material that should be eliminated (Hobbs, 2004, p 130).

This will allow the management to reduce the time they spend on waiting, especially when they need to deliver materials and tools. Overall, the sorting of materials is essential effective time management in an organization. The second way of minimizing these wastes is to set these materials and tools in order. It is necessary to designate location for every piece of inventory and make it easily identifiable (Ortiz, 2008, p 72). The main objective of this step is to make inventory more accessible to the workers, so that they did not have to look for them for a long time, since this may lead to the stoppages of the production process and unnecessary movement of inventory. These action steps can eliminate each of the two wastes that we have identified in the introduction.

The third step of 5S methodology is to keep the place tidy and well organized (Hobbs, 2004, p 130). The thing is that a clean workplace allows the management to see defects in the production or inventory. An untidy workplace can conceal lack of quality or rejected components. The strategy is more applicable to such waste as transportation since the employees, who are working in untidy conditions often misplace components and spare parts; subsequently, they have to look for them for a very long time. In this case, cleanliness can reduce unnecessary movement of workers and materials. This is why one should not suppose that systemic cleaning of the workplace cannot contribute to the effectiveness of an enterprise.

The strategies that we have described can reduce waste to a minimum or even eliminate them. As far as waiting is concerned, we can say that they decrease the lags between production steps and turn manufacturing into a continuous process. Secondly, the workers will not have to spend much time, searching for components or spare parts. 5S methodology eliminates those activities which are not related to the process of production. Secondary, by setting the materials in order, the employees will be able to avoid unnecessary movements from one place to another. Apart from that they will not move materials to incorrect locations. These three phases lies at the core of lean production; without them effective management of resources is hardly possible.

References

College of Manufacturing Excellence. (n. d) A Brief Introduction Lean Manufacturing.

Hobbs D. 2004. Lean manufacturing implementation: a complete execution manual for any size manufacturer. London: J. Ross Publishing.

Ortiz C. 2008. Lessons from a lean consultant: avoiding lean implementation failures on the shop floor. Prentice Hall.

The Future

Vision statement

To be the most established, producing the highest quality smart blankets with a manufacturing site in every country globally while upholding honesty, integrity, transparency, and good customer relations in our services.

Mission statement

We aim to impact and improve the quality of life by manufacturing high-standard blankets which enhance the quality of sleep for our clients, especially infants, the terminally ill, and the elderly population.

Goals/objectives

Short-term Goals

1. To increase overall production by 30% in the next three months.
2. Hire 50 new marketers who will be posted in various parts of the country.
3. To establish a new market in three states, namely Arizona, New York, and California.
4. Improved and increased traffic in our blog and all social media platforms.
5. Conduct market surveys in two neighboring countries.
6. Launch customer giveaways and discounts to loyal customers and clients who purchase more than four goods from our stores.
7. Improve customer care services by 16% in the next few weeks.

Long-term Goals

1. We aim to open at least one branch in every country globally in the next seven years.
2. To reduce the production cost, especially the cost of energy, by adopting the use of solar energy in the next two years.
3. To increase overall brand awareness to over 70% by conducting numerous campaigns, market research, brand promotion, and advertising in the next two years.
4. Working closely with medical institutions who will be a significant part of our clientele to design customized products for various medical conditions.
5. To increase the companys total income by 20% in the next three years.
6. We focus on increasing the companys market share by 10% in the next two years.

The Business

Business Details

Products/services

Changes in atmospheric temperatures affect the quality of sleep as it is hard to sleep when it is too hot or too cold. Mega-spin blantex recognized the trend where most people put away their heavy blankets during summer and get them back on during the winter. However, this trend wastes resources such as time, energy, space, and money as people shift from one season to the next. From this problem, Mega-spin blantex decided to apply the most recent technology in manufacturing to develop a product that will satisfy our clients needs in all seasons. Mega-spin blantex blankets are designed to regulate the normal body temperature, whereby it heats the body when cold to 40 degrees Celsius and absorbs and cools it when hot.

Human bodies are designed to perform various duties optimally when the temperature is regulated. Extremely hot or cold temperatures may damage the body cells, which may lead to other health complications. To avoid this scenario, Mega-spin blantex designed a smart blanket that helps out clients regulate their body temperature. Despite different seasons that affect body temperature, health conditions such as fever and numbness of various parts of the body may lead to body temperature imbalance. Our blankets automatically, without the use of any buttons or electronic interference, detect the changes in the body or various parts of the body temperature of a client when sleeping. To resolve the issue, the blanket slowly heats, if cold, or absorbs the excess heat, if cold, to restore the temple to normal. The company understands the importance of sleep in the proper functioning of the human body.

Our blankets are designed for all types of clients. It does not have any specialization in age, gender, ethnicity, or any other factors. However, the blanket could be advocated more for infants, the terminally ill, and the elderly population. This target group may have difficulties in regulating their body temperatures due to their low-immunity state. Our blankets are manufactured in different sizes, and customers can choose according to the size of the beds or the purpose of the blanket.

Every size has a unique price that is determined by the cost of production and design. Since we are a growing company and we offer the product at an affordable price, we anticipate having an average sales amount of 600,000 blankets in the next six months. This demand will cause a significant rise in the opening of more branches in new states and neighboring countries.

Registration details

Business name

Mega-spin Blantex is a private manufacturing company registered under the Colorado state government. The company was established and registered under the registrar of companies in March 2019. By November 2021, the company has managed to employ 30 employees who conduct various operational duties in the company. Mega-spin Blantex was founded by a group of six investors who discovered the need and gap in the market. Currently, the company has two branches in Colorado and Alabama.

Business structure/ownership

Mega-spin Blantex was established as a partnership between six entrepreneurs who identified the gap in the market. However, the organization changed its registration details to a private company, where it opened room for the purchase of shares from the public. The change of status was to accommodate ownership to our loyal customers and the public as well as enable the company to expand its size and operations.

Business premises

Business Location

Mega-spin Blantex has two locations that it uses to conduct business, Colorado, and Alabama. The company was initially started in Colorado, where the founders had bought a piece of land. The manufacturing site in Colorado occupies a 200 by 100 square feet area. The area has been used to set up a warehouse for the raw materials, the manufacturing area, a warehouse for the finished products, a car parking space, and an office. Some space has not yet been utilized, but the company aims to set up more manufacturing areas in the future. However, most of the sales are not conducted on this premises as it is in a remote area with minimal traffic. Hence, the company has a retail store in the Park Meadows mall, the first shop on the third floor when using the second entrance. There is heavy traffic in this location which enables the company to make significant sales.

Moreover, the company has a branch in Alabama that occupies a leased space. There is an average among of manufacturing that takes place on the site. The company has hired space on the seventh floor of Regions-Harbert Plaza in Birmingham. Mega-spin conducts its operation and sales act from the location. The traffic at the locations is average, while most sales are made through referrals or online systems.

Buy/lease

Mega-spin Blantex aims to expand its operations in Alabama. It requires buying a piece of land to construct the manufacturer site. The company is still fetching for a suitable piece of land in a convenient location in the state. We would like to set up a manufacturing site almost the same size or bigger than the one in Colorado. From the conducted research, the piece of land will go for approximately $1000 while the cost of construction will be $5000

Organisation chart

Management & ownership

Names of owners

Mega-spin Blantex was initially registered as a partnership business between six investors.

However, without affecting the operations of the company, the owners changed the enterprises status to a private company. The owners are not actively involved in the operations of the business but rather form the board of directors in addition to a few elected shareholders. The board of directors is responsible for overseeing the operations of the company and reviewing its operations on a quarterly basis. Profit is shared among the shareholders according to their proportional amount of shares held in the company. They have employed a management team who participate in the running of the company.

Details of management & ownership

Our management team is comprised of five executives who are experts in their area of administration. Mega-spin Blankets is headed by a chief executive officer who has four other managerial teams below them, as stated below. The team has been vetted and interviewed carefully before hiring to ensure they possess the best qualities required for the positions.

Products/services

Market position

Our products and services fit the high-end market. Our prices fall within the expected range of our competitors.

Unique selling position

Our unique selling position is the high and intensive technical that has been implemented in the development of the product. Unlike other competitive brands, our products do not require electric intervention or buttons to operate as they are automatic. We also develop products in different colors and designs that are appealing to the customers. The strategic positioning of our stores is also a contributing factor to the success of the product.

Anticipated demand

Mega-spin Blantex anticipates achieving a sales volume of 600,000 blankets in various designs over the next six months. When visiting our stores, either physical or online, an individual customer is likely to purchase three to five products. It is uncommon that an individual customer will purchase the product more than three times in one year. However, we have a huge clientele from hospitality and medical institutions, which order a large number of products which may range from 10 to 100.

Value to customer

Depending on the need of a customer, some view it as a luxury while it is a necessity to others. For example, a client with good health and normal body temperature may view the product as a luxury. On the other hand, an ill patient suffering from fever or numbness due to underlying conditions may perceive it as a necessity. For parents with young toddlers, the product could be view to be in between a luxury and a necessity.

Growth potential

Depending on past records and future anticipation, our company is likely to have a 10% growth rate in terms of sales, operations, and geographical coverage.

The Market

Market research

Before introducing the product in the market, we conducted market research to understand who our customers are and what they need. Our market team visited various malls in Colorado and Alabama, where they interviewed different potential customers. They performed unstructured interviews with random buyers and recorded the conversation for analysis. However, this method was only able to reach a limited number of customers due to the limited geographic coverage. As a result, it raised the need to conduct online surveys through the companys blog and social media platforms. I will attach a copy of the survey instrument used at the bottom of this template for your reference.

Market targets

We target making a sales volume of 600,000 in different products over the next six months. This will be achieved through sales on our two physical stores, online store, and social media networks. We target high-income earners, the hospitality industry, and medical institutions as our largest clientele base.

Environmental/industry analysis

We conducted various market research both physically and virtually, where we addressed at reached a variety of consumers in terms of age, income, gender, and health conditions, among others. In the two states, Colorado and Alabama, the majority of our respondents were middle-aged and young population. This could be attributed to the geographic region where we conducted the research; in malls. Most of our respondents were high and middle-income earners who were both employed or in business. A higher percentage of the participants recorded the need for the blankets as it is an all-season product.

Colorado and Alabama have a highly growing population which is an opportunity to expand and grow our market. The two states have high human traffic, which is increasing significantly. According to the latest environmental analysis, the smart blanket industry has a lead in South America, Europe, Middle East Asia, and specific Asian regions. This trend portrays evidence of the growth potential of the industry and the acceptability of the product in the regions Mega-spin Blantex is focused take advantage of this trend by expanding its operations to various regions and offering specialized products. We aim to change the face of the product by offering customization, quality, and size differences to accommodate different users.

Your customers

Customer demographics

Mega-spin Blantex targets high-income customers since our products are considered a luxury. The clients could be of any age, gender, and education status. Most of our clients have a habit of trying new products and spending on a luxurious lifestyle. More so, we target parents of young children, the terminally ill, and the elderly population. These three targets group may perceive our products as a necy as they may experience temperature irregularities due to health conditions or weak bodies.

Key customers

Besides individual customers, we target to address and improve the hospitality industry by providing high-quality products. The purchase of our products will create differentiation for the owners of the hotels as they will attract more visitors. Moreover, we target to partner with medical institutions that deal with infants, terminally ill, and elderly patients. Our products may be used to ease extreme temperature irregularities experienced by their patients.

Customer management

We promise our customers to provide them with quality services while observing honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability. We value them as our most expensive asset and thus focus on satisfying their needs. We do so by practicing good customer service and communication skills in our physical and online stores. After the purchase of our products, we ensure that we get feedback from the clients for any comments or complaints and act on them. Mega-spin Blantex follows the customer service standards that are established and recognized globally. We also offer giveaways and discounts to loyal customers and reward referrals.

SWOT analysis

Competitors

Being a young and emerging business in a highly competitive, Mega-spin strive to be outstanding by providing different products. We have managed to establish our brand, especially among parents with young infants, as we are the only company that offers this kind of product. We have a 10% market share in Colorado and Alabama.

Competitor details

Sustainability plan

Environmental/resource impacts

Our company aims to impact the environment positively through promoting actions that protect its resources. We recycle fabrics to avoid littering the environment. We also encourage people with old fabrics to bring them to our stores for clearing and recycling. Our company aims to eliminate the use of fossil fuels as the primary source of energy and adopt the use of solar energy, which is environmentally friendly and cheap.

Community impact & engagement

Our initiatives to curb environmental pollution ensure that the surrounding community lives in a clean and safe area. In addition, we provide job opportunities to the youths who collect old fabrics from the neighborhood and bring them to our stores for recycling. Through the adoption of solar energy, we contribute towards creating a green economy and safe breathing air.

Risks/constraints

We are faced with the constraint of having a limited amount of water for manufacturing in Colorado, which forces us to outsource water services from neighboring towns. The water and sewerage services in the area are also very expensive.

Strategies

To mitigate the risk of underproduction due to water shortages, we outsource water services from neighboring towns. However, this is an added cost and a short-term solution. To address the problem in the long-term, we aim to partner with the states water providers to enhance the production and distribution of more water. We also aim at drilling a borehole in the premises to supply the company with more water.

Action plan

Supporting documentation

Attached is my supporting documentation in relation to this business idea. The attached documents include:

Questionnaire Used

General Questions

1. Which is your favorite shopping center?
2. How frequently do you shop there?
3. Why do you prefer the shopping center to others?
4. What goods and services do you frequently purchase in the shopping center?
5. How much time do you spend when shopping on average?
6. Which is your preferred spot in the shopping center?
7. Are you satisfied with the benefits you get for the value of the money you give for the goods?
8. Would you recommend a change in the pricing of the commodities?
9. Is there any improvement you would recommend to the mall owners?
10. Do you have any compliments for the retailers in the shopping center?

Questions about the category and products

1. What comes to mind when you think about smart blankets?
2. Do you have any attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs about the choice of blankets?
3. What are some of the factors that motivate you to buy and consume smart blankets?
4. What needs (or wants) are you looking to satisfy by using these products?
5. What likes and dislikes do you have about different smart blankets?
6. Where do you buy/shop your bedding?

Questions about the brand and competitive brands

1. What image do you have about Mega-spin Blantex? What comes to mind?
2. What image do you have about your brand Smartduvet? What comes to mind?
3. What image do you have about Amerisleep? What comes to mind?

Introduction

In the context of globalization and extensive supplies of goods from abroad, many production areas need more support and development. This applies not only to high-tech output but also to cheap disposable goods. Moreover, the pandemic, which began at the end of 2019, forced us to reconsider the priorities of state support, as many critical goods were literally at risk of disappearing from sale due to the disruption of supply chains.

Discussion

The production of semiconductors and chips and disposable medical products are fundamentally different enterprises, ranging from the cost of production to the required personnel qualifications. However, at present, these goods for the US market are united by one important factor: most of them are purchased from foreign suppliers. The manufacturers of masks referred to by the author of the article describe the difficulties that manufacturers of any other product, including semiconductors, can fundamentally face. Among them are non-systemic support from the state, the need for more demand among potential buyers during increased foreign supplies, and the impossibility of long-term planning in conditions of financial uncertainty and dependence on external random factors. The situation for mask manufacturers will differ from that for semiconductor ones. Government subsidies are more likely to concentrate on high-tech rather than financing local manufacturers of inexpensive disposable goods.

Conclusion

Support for domestic production is essential for stabilizing the economy and providing output necessary for the defense complex and technology development, causing a shortage of socially significant products. Moreover, if the import of goods from outside is hedged by domestic production, this will avoid the recurrence of dangerous situations in the future. Of course, relying only on subsidies is a potentially ill-conceived tactic for entrepreneurs, as it is unreliable and unpredictable. However, in this case, it may be helpful to establish strong supply chains of raw materials from local suppliers, cooperation with other similar industries, and a well-thought-out qualitatively and quantitatively production strategy to prevent overproduction and be ready to increase capacity if necessary.

References

Nocera, J. (2022). Why american mask makers are going out of business. The New York Times. Web.

Most people are aware of the fact that cigarette smoking is harmful to the health and is one of the leading causes of deadly infections, for instance lung cancer. A fact that may not be clear to them is that cigarette smoking also leads to other dangerous diseases and illnesses. Smoking of cigarette is also one of the single most avoidable sources of death in the whole world. Though the dangers are familiar amongst individuals the benefits are unheard of. It is therefore apparent that the call for prohibition of cigarette manufacturing should be fully encouraged. The manufacturers of cigarettes either have no strong reasons other than the financial benefits they get at the expense of the health of innocent citizens. These alone should be enough reasons why manufacturing of cigarettes should be outlawed.

Reasons for prohibition

Tobacco causes 1 out of 6 deaths each year in U.S. This represents about 435,000 deaths. 20,000 deaths brought about by flu and pneumonia are attached to smoking. Each single year, 174,000 perish due to heart disease and it has been proved that smoking increases the chances of dying of heart attack by sixty percent. A good number of smokers also die of stroke. Stroke comes about when the brain is not able to get adequate oxygen. For instance, when an individual has stroke, he or she may lack the ability to talk or move part of his or her body for some time or for the rest of his or her life (Miller 68).

Forty percent of men and 28% of women die precipitately, that is, before their time. And the cause of these deaths is smoking. Smoking affects them negatively. According to the report released by Surgeon General in 1985, the number of persons who have perished due smoking is bigger compared the American who have died in battles or those who died of diseases that are related to war.

Cigarette smoking is accountable for a larger percentage of all the deaths brought about by cancer. Individuals who smoke die not just of lung cancer but also of the cancer of the mouth in addition to larynx, cervix, and bladder among others. Women have been seriously killed by lung cancer and those who smoke more than 15 cigarettes in a single day enhance their risks of being affected by cervical cancer.

Own experience

My own experience about cigarette smoking leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My father was a habitual smoker who would do any thing to make sure that he smoked. It reached a point whereby he became totally irresponsible member of both the family and the community as a whole. His health became totally deteriorated and therefore he could not attend to his duties and responsibilities. To some extent, he even engaged in the acts of stealing to get money for buying cigarettes for the fulfillment of his desires. He was eventually adversely affected by the cancer of thought died after a long suffering. Though he talked about giving up the habit, it was quite hard due to the fact that he was highly addicted. The only probable solution of helping the addicts as well as the future generation is to stop the manufacturers of the deadly substance with immediate effect.

Smoking is a costly habit

An ordinary smoker needs a lot of money to maintain the unhealthy form of lifestyle and the cost that may be involved in doing this is likely to be extremely high. The most obvious cost of smoking may involve the daily, weekly as well as the monthly expense of an ordinary smoker. In average, a packet of cigarette may cost $4.00. If a person has to burn a packet in a day, it amounts to $1500. This form of money could be channeled towards a healthier and worth area, for instance, an out-of-town vacation for a whole family.

Medical Expense

The expenditures that are involved for a person who suffers from smoke related diseases need to be fully addressed. Smoke related treatments, service provision as well as medication are factors that need to be addressed. It is a common fact that most health care assistances can never be acquired free of charge. And at the same time, the smoker needs to refrain work incase he or she is suffering from ailments that are closely associated to smoking. He should, as a result, to retire to the hospital. This results into reduced level of income. Thereafter, instead of money being brought in, it is taken out (Miller 70).

Secondhand smoking

The other danger of smoking is that it does not just affect the health of smokers but also diminishes the health of those who do not smoke but are around people who smoke. As a result, the non-smokers are also likely to experiences some of the adverse effects of the harmful substance.

Smoking affects other systems

The reproductive system is seriously affected through smoking. This is mainly amongst the females. Female smokers undergo irregular or even absent periods. The level of fertility is seriously compromised, and the occurrence menopause occurs one to two years earlier. To add on that, cervical cancer is heightened. For those who are above 35 years are taking oral contraceptives, the risk of acquiring stroke or even heart attack is high (Ollie 112).

Men, on the other hand, experience either low level of sperm count or more abnormal sperm with reduced level of motility. The level of hormones among men is also affected. Male individuals are also predisposed to impotence because of reduced level in the circulation of blood. This is due to the overall concession circulation of as well as the damage of blood vessels within the penis. Immune system of the smokers is also impaired, therefore leaving the smoker, highly vulnerable to a huge number of minor infections compared to a non-smoker.

A smoker requires more time to recover fro m an ailment compared to a non-smoker. The skin of a non-smoker also becomes dry and looses its suppleness due to reduced circulation of blood. Inflammation together with irritation of the intestines of the smoker is a usual phenomenon among the smokers in addition to painful ulceration of the whole GI track.

The unborn are not also left out incase the mother is a smoker. Issues of miscarriage are common amongst the women smokers. The infants of the smoking mothers are usually at increased risks weighing less and are mainly victims of infections and SIDS (Ollie 115).

Smoking and pollution

Smoking contributes to the pollution of the environment. Research indicates that various gases are released through smoking and are highly harmful to the environment. Tar and carbon dioxide are some of the examples. The environment is always getting worse and therefore smoking should never be allowed to be another cause (Hansen 57).

Advantages of cigarettes

Though cigarettes are known to have numerous negativities, to a small extent, they are beneficial to both the manufacturers and the government. The manufacturers gain through the huge profits that are acquired through the sales. The government on its part, benefits through taxation. The money acquired can be used in the development of other sections of the economy such as education. The prohibition of the manufacturing of cigarettes can lead to loss of income.

Interview

The interview that I carried out on the streets of New York City to determine the views among people on whether the manufacturers of cigarettes should be prohibited confirmed that cigarette is a liability in the society. Out of the twenty people interviewed, only two said they fancied smoking and the manufacturers should not be prohibited from manufacturing. The rest said it should be affected. Though most of the interviewees were smokers, they highly regretted that single they started smoking. In particular, this is what one of the smokers had to say;

Though I am a smoker, I really regret doing it. My spirited efforts to stop the habit have never been fruitful due to the fact that I am strongly addicted. My health condition is terribly poor and I have been on medical check-ups and treatment on a frequent basis. I fight hard to keep my children away from smoking because of the dangers that are involved and it has been hard convincing them because I personally smoke. I wish there was a way out for to stop the habit.

Conclusion

The manufacturing of the cigarettes should be banned with immediate effect. Cigarette smoking has brought about more than enough miseries within the societies. The fact that even the smokers regret smoking, is a clear indication that the manufacturers are doing harm than good to the entire population. The blameless citizens can only be protected from the dangers that are involved through prohibition. The benefits may be there, but compared to the risks that are involved, it is necessary that the cigarette manufacturing is stopped.

Works cited

1. Miller M. Russell. Dangers of Smoking. New York: Anatomical plan Co., 1992.
2. Ollie Pocs. Human Sexuality. Oxford: Dushkin Pub. Group, 2001.
3. Hansen J. Doan. Environmental Healthcare. New Jersey: CRC Press, 1998.

Encryption

The security of data and information of the B manufacturing is paramount. The computer network represents one area that is vulnerable to security compromise, which might be detrimental to the prosperity of the company. Therefore, it is would be useful to encrypt data or information Schneier, 2001) that is stored in or transmitted through the B manufacturing computer network. In particular, encryption is possible and necessary in all the nodes (refer to the appendix). However, it is of most importance that data that is accessible through node 1, node 2 and node 3 be encrypted because these areas link the company network to the outside. Nonetheless, encryption is also important for information that would be accessed through node 5 and node 6.

A layer 2 encryption where the data link layer is involved would be the most suitable for the B manufacturing network. Characteristically, layer 2 encryption has not had many hurdles when installing, and, furthermore, it can bear all kinds of protocols; nonetheless, additional devices are required to implement it. A hybrid type of encryption that utilizes both the public key algorithms and symmetric algorithms would be ideal for the B manufacturing network.

A public-key cryptography system is ideal for the entire B manufacturing network. This system would involve the use of a public key to encrypt data and a private key to decrypt data. Of importance is node 6 which involves the use of credit card information. Therefore, it would be vital to make sure that the key length is sufficient, not only for node 6 but also for other nodes, to guarantee security.

The RSA algorithm and elliptic curve algorithm (ECC) are credible algorithms to use for encrypting data (Electronic Frontier Foundation 1998). A general recommendation is that RSA public keys length of 1024 bits is sufficient enough to provide security to a system; nonetheless, a public key of 3072 bits long should be used to cater for future developments (RSA Laboratories 2003). For the E.C.C. cryptography system, a 384-bit key is appropriate to keep data secure (Schneier 2001).

The Array controller-based encryption could be suitable for node 5. This kind of encryption is done at the disk array controller prior to the delivery of data to the disk drives and backup tapes. Furthermore, encryption can be affected at the servers hard disk, the Storage Area Network infrastructure.

Node 2 would be best served by encryption schemes such as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WAP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which are designed with particular attention to the securities issues of wireless networks.

Wireless access point and security

The use of wireless access points (WAP) requires special consideration as far as security is concerned. This is so because as anyone within the area that the WAP covers has a signal receiving device, he or she can access the network. Therefore, it would be critical to implement wireless traffic encryption such as WPA or WPA2 as well as security protocols for network access authentication to prevent unauthorized access to the network. The choice of WPA and WPA2 is because they are secure as compared to first-generation encryptions (cite).

Authentication for the WAP network would require the use of a RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial in User Service) protocol as well as authentication servers. A Chilisoft authentication would be suitable because it would allow the separation of the wired local area network (LAN) from the WAP-based LAN. The Linux-based DD-WRT v24 firmware could be used to achieve this authentication.

Cryptographic protocols

Cryptographic protocols are vital in a computer network. Besides formalizing behaviour, they abstract the process of accomplishing a task from the mechanism by which the task is accomplished (Schneier, 2001). This is achievable through various cryptographic protocols.

There are three main categories of cryptographic protocols that can be used in the B manufacturing computer network: arbitrated, adjudicated, and self-enforcing protocols. It is worth noting that a protocol in this context refers to a chain of steps that involve more than one party and are meant to do a particular task (Schneier, 2001); a cryptographic protocol involves encryption or cryptography. The arbitrated protocols are characterised by the use of an arbitrator who ensures that each party performs his or her role; the arbitrator, in this respect, must be trusted by all the parties involved in the protocol. On the other hand, adjudicated protocols involve an arbitrated sub-protocol and a non-arbitrated sub-protocol. However, this arbitrated sub-protocol is executed only when there are disputes, where the arbitrator (or the adjudicator in this case) determines through existing data the problem and culprit. Unlike arbitrated protocols that prevent cheating, adjudicated protocols detect cheating. Self-enforcing protocols do not require an arbitrator nor an adjudicator. Instead, they are designed so that there are no disputes that arise. Furthermore, in the event that one party attempts to cheat, the other party is able to uncover the cheating immediately and the protocol halts. Self-enforcing protocols are the best (Schneier, 2001) and would be ideal for the B manufacturing computer network.

Node 2

There is a need to thoroughly cryptoanalyse node 2 because it represents a very risky section of the B manufacturing network as far as security is concerned. It is possible for outsiders to tap data being transmitted through the network as long as they have a device that receives the signal. Although wireless traffic authentication would prevent unauthorized access, it is not always a guarantee that outsiders cannot connect to the network. In this regard, therefore, encryption of data is very crucial.

The self-enforcing cryptographic protocols would be the most suitable for this section of the network. The choice for this encryption is so that to prevent any disputes at all. It is possible that many of the network data originating or arriving at this section of the network are from outside. It would be time-consuming and expensive to start engaging in the processes of solving disputes or employing arbitrators, as is the case with the adjudicated protocols and arbitrated protocols respectively. On the other hand, adjudicated protocols would be suitable for node 6 since it is easier to adjudicate any cheating if it occurs within the system.

Node 6

The adjudicated protocol feature two sub-protocol where one requires an arbitrator when a dispute arises, while the other sub-protocol is not arbitrated at all. This protocol is less expensive because an arbitrator is brought in when there is a dispute, it saves time, and this part of the network has the advantage in that it would be easier to adjudicate cheating issues because they are based within the company.

Assuming that object 1 originates from party 1, object 2 originates from party 2, and there is a trusted adjudicator, the protocol is implemented as follows: The non-arbitrated sub-protocol is executed all the time,

1. Party 1 and party 2 agree on terms
2. Party 1 makes commitments
3. Party 2 makes commitments

The arbitrated sub-protocol is executed when there is a dispute:

1. Party 1 and party 2 appear before the adjudicator
2. Party 1 presents evidence
3. Party 2 presents evidence
4. The adjudicator makes a judgement based on evidence.

There is also the need to replace the 1^st hub and the production office hub with switches. This is because the wireless access point makes the entire wired local area network slow (CIS370). Additionally, the production section of the network uses computer applications that are heavy and these kinds of data would cause the rest of the network to be slow. A bridge, in this respect, would make it possible to split the network so that these parts that cause slow transmission of data are placed on one side.

References

CIS370, Ethernet.

Electronic Frontier Foundation 1998, Cracking DES, OReilly and Associates, New York.

RSA Laboratories 2003, TWIRL and RSA Key Size.

Schneier, B 2001, Applied cryptography: protocols, algorthms, and source code in C, (2^nd edn.), Routledge, New York.

Siegel, A 1956, Automatic programming of numerically controlled machine tools, Control Engineering, vol. 3, no. 10, pp. 65-70.

In grinding, it is highly important to know properties of different materials. For this purpose, various standard and non-standard methods are used (Kreibig and Vollmer 46). The report at hand is going to sum up the key assumptions concerning the shape, color, and brightness of sparks produced in grinding, which can serve as a practical guide for identifying the type and condition of the material being ground.

First and foremost, it is important to note that this spark testing procedure allows differentiating between materials rather accurately. The method is not only efficient but also fast, easy, and cost-saving since it does not require any special equipment (a sample of the material and an abrasive wheel are enough). That is why mastering the procedure can considerably facilitate the work process.

When a piece of material contacts with an abrasive wheel, glowing particles of metal that are given off follow a certain carrier line (trajectory), which is visible against a dark background. Besides the length of the stream, one should also pay attention to the form, brightness, and color of sparks (Fleming 65). It is quite challenging to differentiate between steels having the same carbon content (with different alloying elements); however, using this method, it can be done by analyzing how the alloying element accelerates or slows sparks and makes the line darker or brighter (Dalke et al. 167). For instance, nickel is identified by blocks of white light, which shine brightly; molybdenum releases orange sparks with spearheads; silicon gives off a white flash of light after an abrupt end of the carrier line. Other spark patterns include the following ones:

• Cemented carbide releases sparks that are tiny in size (about 3 inches) and never fork. The color is typically dark-red.
• Monel forms sparks that are similar to those released by nickel. They are typically rather small, wavy, and have almost no sparklers. Their color is orange.
• Gray cast iron also produces rather small (<25 inches) sparks, following a repetitive pattern. The color is red with a straw-colored outer sphere.
• Stainless steel releases much longer sparks (about 50 inches) with a moderate volume. Sparklers are scarce. Sparks are straw-colored close to the wheel and white at the end of the line.
• Wrought-iron gives the longest stream of all the enumerated materials (>65 inches), having a large volume. However, there are also very few sparklers. Sparks are forked (widening out close to the end) and straw-colored. The carrier lines end is bright red (Black and Kohser 85).

However, the spark test allows identifying not only the type of the material but also its condition. For instance, if sparks become purple or dark blue, this implies that there is a leak free lining. If there appears a leak, sparks become light blue or white. Dampness typically increases brightness of sparks. If there is any foreign matter present, the color and shape of sparks will be irregular (Li et al. 815).

Thus, it can be concluded that spark test is a highly effective and quick method of determining the type of the material and assessing its properties. Yet, it is important to bear in mind that a number of conditions have to be observed to obtain accurate results. An abrasive wheel must be properly positioned and particular pressure is needed to not to increase the temperature (which gives appearance of higher brightness). Only those sparks that cross the line of vision should be watched (Aurich and Effgen 588). Another problematic issue is that certain materials have very similar spark patterns. This implies that, despite its demonstrative character, the test is not universal and should be complemented by other procedures.

Works Cited

Aurich, Jan, and Christian Effgen. CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering. Springer, 2014.

Black, J. Temple, and Ronald A. Kohser. DeGarmos Materials and Processes in Manufacturing. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

Dalke, Tyler et al. Material Determination Using Spark Observation. Global Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 15, no. 3, 2013, pp. 165-170.

Fleming, Roland W. Visual Perception of Materials and Their Properties. Vision Research, vol. 94, no. 2, 2014, pp. 62-75.

Kreibig, Uwe, and Michael Vollmer. Optical Properties of Metal Clusters. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.

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