Solution:

(a) Simplification: The technique of simplification and standardization of product is closely inter-related that leads to higher efficiency in production, better quality and reduced production cost.

Simplification is a process of determining limited number of grades, types and sizes of a components or products or parts in order to achieve better quality control, minimize waste, simplify production and, thus, reduce cost of production.

By eliminating unnecessary varieties, sizes and designs, simplification leads to manufacture identical components or products for interchangeability and maintenance purposes of assembly of parts.

(b) Standardization:

Standardization is the important step towards interchangeable manufacture, increased output and higher economy.

The technique of standardization comprises of determining optimal manufacturing processes, identifying the best possible engineering material, and allied techniques for the manufacture of a product and adhering to them very strictly so long as the better standards for all these are not identified.

Thus definite standards are set up for a specified product with respect to its quality, required equipment, machinery, labor, material, process of manufacture and the cost of production.

The identified standard with time for a specified product should never be taken as final for ever because improvement is always possible.

It must accommodate the outcome of all the new researches in the manufacturing areas in order to keep pace with increasing global competition.

(c) Inspection and quality control:

A product is manufactured to perform desired functions. It must have a specified dimension such as length, width, height, diameter and surface smoothness to perform or accomplish its intended function.

It means that each product requires a defined size, shape and other characteristics as per the design specifications. For manufacturing the product to the specified size, the dimensions should be measured and checked during and after the manufacturing process.

It involves measuring the size, smoothness and other features, in addition to their checking. These activities are called measurement and inspection respectively.

In the era of globalization, every industry must pay sufficient attention towards maintaining quality because it is another important requirement or function of a production unit.

If a manufacturing concern wants to survive for longer time and to maintain its reputation among the users, it should under all condition apply enough efforts not only to keep up the standard of quality of its products once established but to improve upon the same from time to time.

(d) Interchangeability:

The dimensions of mating parts are generally controlled to have a proper fitting of matching parts for its optimal functional requirement. Providing dimensions on components or parts is the job of a product designer.

Interchangeability of the parts is, therefore, a major pre-requisite for economic production, operation and maintenance of machinery mechanism and instruments.

It is therefore very much possible to interchange spare parts in various machines, tractors, motor cars, machines tools, airplanes and many, others so that they can be dismantled for replacement of parts in service conditions in the field, and also in many local workshops with least possible loss of time.

In order to produce interchangeable or identical parts, the components of interchangeable system and the various terms related with inter-changeability of the mating parts should be understood clearly by the product designing, manufacturing and product inspecting staff working in industries.

(e) Mechanization:

Mechanization means something is done or operated by machinery and not by hand. Mechanization of the manufacturing means is milestone oriented trend towards minimizing the human efforts to the extent of its possibility, by adopting mechanical and electrical means or methods for automating the different manufacturing processes.

Such a trend may be in the area of automating and mechanizing the processes of material handling, loading and unloading of components, actual operations performed on the job or transportation, etc.

But, no feedback is provided by the process, operation or machinery. Extension of mechanization of the production process is termed as automation and it is controlled by a closed loop system in which feedback is provided by the sensors.

(f) Automation:

Automation is a word that has many meanings in the industry today. Automatic machines of all kinds existed long before the term automation was conceived.

But, it should be noted that all automatic machines do not come under the category of automation.

Automation is a technology concerned with the application mechanical, electronic, and computer based systems to operate and control production.

Every machine should involve some automation, may be to a lesser degree or to a higher extent to which is mainly governed by economic considerations.

Automation means a system in which many or all of the processes in the production, movement, and inspection of parts and material are performed under control by the self-operating devices called controllers.

This implies that the essential elements of automation comprise of mechanization, sensing, feedback, and control devices.