Cluster Manufacturing Management to Improve Equipment Efficiency and Productivity

This paper purposes concept of cluster manufacturing management in order to improve equipment efficiency and productivity for SMEs. The cluster group performs manufacturing tasks as collaborative engineering in the design phase. They share the process of designing information of product using CAD/CAPP/CAE and PDM. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system management is implemented to manage the cluster company group with the same platform which would be established inside companies. Instead of working separately, those companies would share facilities to produce standard parts. Consequently, the lead time and cost of production are reduced; the quality standard is more consistent. Each company’s ERP is linked to SCM in order to control the delivery of components to assembly parts of final production stage of the selected company which is considered the most capable and appropriate. The transportation cost is optimized at this stage. The productivity of equipment efficiency is increased clearly in this model.