Homework #7 Solution

15.7 Apply the rank order clustering technique to the part-machine incidence matrix in the
following table to identify logical part families and machine groups. Parts are identified by
letters and machines are identified numerically.
Machines
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

C
1

D
1

Parts
E
1

1
1

1
1

1
1

1
1

Solution:
Step 1
A B C D E F G H
1
1 1 1
2 1 1
1 1
3
1 1 1
4 1 1
1
5
1
1
6
1
1
7 1
1 1
8
1
1
1

A B H
2 1 1 1
4 1 1
7 1
8
1 1
6
1 1
1
5
3
1

Rank
6
1
1
8
2
7
1
5
3
1
4

Step 3
I G C D E F Rank
1 1
1
1
1
2
1 1
3
1
1
4
1
5
1 1 1
7
1
1
8
1
1
6

A B C
2 1 1
4 1 1
7 1
1
8
1
6
1
1
1
5
1
3
Rank 1 2 6

Step 2
D E F G H I
1 1 1
1
1
1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1
1 1 1
7 8 9 5 3 4

A H B
2 1 1 1
4 1 1
7 1
8
1 1
6
1 1
3
1
1
5
Rank 1 2 3

Step 4
I G C
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4 5 6

D E F
1
1
1
1
1
8

1
1
7 9

Step 5
A B H
2 1 1 1
4 1 1
7 1
8
1 1
6
1 1
3
1
1
5

I G C
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Step 6
E D F Rank
1
1
2
1
3
1
4
5
1
6
1 1
7
1
8

A H B
2 1 1 1
4 1 1
7 1
8
1 1
6
1 1
3
1
1
5
Rank 1 2 3

I G C
1 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4 5 6

E D F
1
1
1
1
1
1
7

1
8 9

Part families and machine groups:

I = (A, B, F, G, H, I) and (2, 3, 6, 8)
II = (C, D, E) and (1, 4, 5, 7)
Note: Part pack A in group I requires processing in group II (machine 4, 7) and Part pack H
in group I requires processing in group II (machine 4)