A study of technical challenges in relocation of a manufacturing site

Data mining for information gathering has become a critical part in decision-making. Manufacturers today are competing in a global market. Staying in competition calls for the fullest use of information related to design and manufacturing to assure products with high quality, low cost and on-time delivery. In this chapter, a business strategy is set forth to relocate a manufacturing site that is closer to customers and a low-cost labor market. The study presented focuses on technical challenges related to the relocating process. To secure a smooth and productive transition, efforts have been made to review the current manufacturing process and establish a new production plan system that will be in place for controlling the production of new products. Case studies are presented in the area of route sheet preparation, shop floor layout design, animation based assembly training and parametric design assistance, demonstrating the impact of data mining on the production realization process.