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Job analysis is the common basis for designing a training course or programme, preparing performance tests, writing position (job) descriptions, identifying performance appraisal criteria, and job restructuring. Its other applications in human resource development include career counselling and wage and salary administration. Job analysis answers the questions of what tasks, performed in what manner, make up a job. Outputs of this analytical study include: (a) a list of the job tasks; (b) details of how each task is performed; (c) statements describing the responsibility, job knowledge, mental application, and dexterity, as well as accuracy required; and (d) a list of the equipment, materials, and supplies used to perform the job. Various techniques for conducting a job analysis have been used. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. As a result, different techniques or combinations of techniques are appropriate to different situations. The combined on‐site observation and individual interview techniques are recommended for industrial, trade, craft, clerical, and technical jobs because they generate the most thorough and probably the most valid information. A job analysis schedule is used to report the job information obtained through observations and individual interviews. The schedule provides a framework of 12 items in which to arrange and describe important job analysis information. These 12 items are organised into four sections. Section one consists of items one through four. These items identify the job within the establishment in which it occurs. The second section presents item five, the work performed. It provides a thorough and complete description of the tasks of the job. The Work Performed section describes what the job incumbent does, how it is done, and why it is done. Section three presents items six through nine. These are the requirements placed on the job incumbent for successful performance. It is a detailed interpretation of the basic minimum (a) responsibility, (b) job knowledge, (c) mental application, and (d) dexterity and accuracy required of the job incumbent. The fourth section includes three items which provide background information on the job. These items are: (a) equipment, materials and supplies; (b) definitions of terms; and (c) general comments. Appendix A is a glossary of terms associated with job analysis. It is provided to facilitate more exacting communication. A job analysis schedule for a complex and a relatively simple job are included in Appendices B and C. These examples illustrate how important job analysis information is arranged and described. Appendix D provides a list of action verbs which are helpful when describing the manipulative tasks of a job.

Electrospark deposition (ESD) attracts special attention from scientists and engineers because of its unique advantages. However, the ESD process has been carried out by hand up to the present. This prevents ESD from preparing complex curve/surface coatings owing to manual operation characteristics. To meet the coating precise preparation requirements for a lot of parts with complex surface from various industrial fields, this paper aims to obtain a new automatic ESD equipment, process and preparation methodology for complex surface coatings.

By designing a special deposition holder and re-programming programmable machine controller, an ESD power supply and a computer numerical control milling machine are integrated to obtain an electrospark-computer integrated deposition system (ES-CIDS). Then, based on the ES-CIDS, a new ESD process, named electrospark-computer numerical control deposition (ES-CNCD) is developed. Furthermore, complex surface coatings are depicted using non-uniform rational B-spline mathematical model and modeled in a special software developed via MATLAB. Finally, deposition programs for a complex coating are generated using golden section interpolation method, and transferred to and executed by the ES-CIDS to accomplish the preparation of the complex surface coating.

This paper demonstrates that it is possible and feasible to prepare complex surface coatings via an automatic ESD process (namely, ES-CNCD) precisely.

This paper can make automatic ESD process get more attention from scientific researchers and engineers, and promote the research of the ES-CNCD process/equipment.

The ES-CNCD process can be used in the manufacturing of complex surface coatings, and in the remanufacturing of complex shape parts.

The ES-CIDS/ES-CNCD can promote the development of related equipment and technology, and bring opportunities and employment to ESD industry.

This work prepares complex surface coatings precisely for the first time using a new automatic ESD process (ES-CNCD), which has wide application prospects in various industries.

Overview All organisations are, in one sense or another, involved in operations; an activity implying transformation or transfer. The major portion of the body of knowledge concerning operations relates to production in manufacturing industry but, increasingly, similar problems are to be found confronting managers in service industry. It is only in the last decade or so that new technology, involving, in particular, the computer, has encouraged an integrated view to be taken of the total business. This has led to greater recognition being given to the strategic potential of the operations function. In order to provide greater insight into operations a number of classifications have been proposed. One of these, which places operations into categories termed factory, job shop, mass service and professional service, is examined. The elements of operations management are introduced under the headings of product, plant, process, procedures and people.

This is a tale of entente cordiale. It describes initially how the Anglo‐French agreement to produce the Concord supersonic transport introduced a number of production problems associated with the advanced design of the aircraft. It tells how Sud‐Aviation, having accepted responsibility for 60 per cent of the airframe construction, are using a British aluminium alloy (Hiduminium‐RR.SS or AU2GN by High Duty Alloys Ltd.), stress relieved on a British plate stretching machine (by Fielding and Platt Ltd.), and machined on a British sculpture milling machine (by Cramic Engineering Ltd.) utilizing a British numerical control system (a Mk. IV continuous path system by Ferranti Ltd.) for Concord components. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of the French decision to adopt British materials, processes and machine tools, in terms of export sales and technological leadership. Here is proof positive that British industry can negotiate the barriers of language, engineering units, price, efficiency, delivery date, distance, Common Market preferences and cut‐throat competition to win export orders. We stand on the threshold of a new era of international collaboration, an era in which those British companies with the highest standards of engineering knowledge and ability, plus the all‐important sales drive, stand to reap rich rewards in the export market and particularly in Continental Europe.

New standards for communications, data exchange, and computer integrated manufacturing systems are being implemented. These new standards and methods of production are not always compatible with existing machines and equipment. Studies show that significant investments would be required to replace the existing machines with new ones complying with the new standards. Describes a case study demonstrating that the implementation of an integrated manufacturing cell using equipment not conforming to high level communications standards is feasible. Also presents a review of computer integrated manufacturing technologies.

The introduction of technology on the shop‐floor has often been depicted as a stressful experience for workers. Adopts a quasi‐experimental approach to determine whether the automated shopfloor remains a stressful environment when considerable time for technological changes to settle has elapsed. Automation does not seem to create additionalstress. However, computer numerical control (CNC) machine/robot operators and conventional machine operators face different sources of stress. CNC machine/robot operators are more affected by quantitative overload and psychological demands, whereas conventional machine employees are more subject to inadequate support and role ambiguity. Both groups exercised relatively low levels of control over their jobs. Provides suggestions to make the automated shopfloor a better workplace.

The monograph analyses (a) the potential impact of information technology (IT) on organisational issues that directly concern the personnel function; (b) the nature of personnel’s involvement in the decision making and activities surrounding the choice and implementation of advanced technologies, and (c) their own use of IT in developing and carrying out their own range of specialist activities. The monograph attempts to explain why personnel’s involvement is often late, peripheral and reactive. Finally, an analysis is made of whether personnel specialists – or the Human Resource Management function more generally – will play a more proactive role in relation to such technologies in the future.

The majority of employment within the mechanical engineering sector involves production in batches rather than in continuous mass production. Furthermore, over 40% of all employment in this sector is in firms of less than 200 employees, this compares with a national average of about 22% and an increasing proportion of the nation's batch engineering is thought to be done by small subcontracting firms. Mechanical engineering comprises a number of activities such as, welding, forging, casting, surface finishing, but by far the most common activity is metal cutting with machine tools. The technology of metal cutting machine tools has undergone three main phases of automation, firstly partial mechanical automation, secondly, the Numerical Control (NC) of cutting tool and workpiece movement, and thirdly Computer Numerical Control (CNC). Each of these phases of automation has had distinctive effect on shaping the skill composition and task levels labour on the shop floor.

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the height and diameter of the dies as well as work‐piece dimensions, on stresses and strains on dies in the forging process. This helps in developing a better understanding of the effect of process parameters. As a result, the manufacturing task could be accomplished with minimal number of trials.

After determining the most influencing parameters on the forging process, the mechanical part is drawn, size of initial billet and shape of punch and die are also determined to build a finite‐element model to represent the process. Several outputs are taken as an indication for die wear and process performance. Finally, a computer numerical control (CNC) code to manufacture the selected die is generated.

It was found that when the die diameter increases, the effective stress decreases. On other hand, it was found that the work required to finish the forging process is highly affected by the dimensions of work‐piece. Therefore, it is possible to save power if work‐piece dimensions are adjusted.

This paper was meant to be a universal step or guide in developing a computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system to design, simulate, and manufacture molds for the forging process using a statistical method.

Automation first made an impact in the automotive and other mass production markets. This was followed by developments such as computer numerical control that introduced automation to small and medium batch sizes. Until recently, the one‐off and very small batch sizes encountered in toolrooms and prototype production remained the domain of manual machine tools. Describes the Prototrak system which was developed to address this market.