OPTIMAL DIE STOCK CONTROL AT FIRTH-VICKERS-FOUNDRY

This case study emphasises the growing importance of management sciences, operational research, and computing in the decision-making processes of production management in a dynamic high-technology company. The study is concerned with a computer system for die stock control and selection developed in conjunction with the management of Firth Vickers Foundry, Sheffield, following an initial diagnostic survey to define the problem and outline a solution to it. This article describes the effect on production costs (melting, spinning, machining and die costs) of the system which is designed to enable management to exercise optimal control of die stocks in the centri-spinning section of the foundry. The approach to the problem and development of logic are, however, applicable to all fluid-to-solid process industries where differently sized regular moulds or dies are stocked to meet order patterns of variable dimensions. © Operational Research Society Ltd.