Chip-forms, Chip Breakability and Chip Control

Abstract

Definition Capacity is defined, in the context of manufacturing , as the maximum rate of production and the ability to yield production. Capacity planning is concerned with defining all resources and factors that affect the ability of a manufacturer to produce including equipment, labor, space, and time (i.e., number of shifts). The outcome of capacity planning is an investment strategy and resources utilization plan defined based on optimal policies that try to fulfill demand and its variation while considering various system's operational objectives and constraints. Theory and Application History Capacity planning is motivated by manufac-turers' desire to meet customers' demand. Uncertainty of the customer's demand increases the complexity of capacity planning. Capacity planning is often confused with scheduling since both deal with managing production to meet demand. However, a major distinction between both activities is that capacity planning is focused on meeting the anticipated demand on the strategic and tactical level, while scheduling focuses on how to meet demand on the shop floor operational level. This distinction brings about different scope, strategies, models, and tools used in meeting the capacity and resources scheduling demands. Capacity planning was classically addressed as a problem of capacity expansion. However, modern planning is concerned with both the reduction and expansion of capacity given the turbulence in markets today. Another major difference between classical and modern capacity planning is their enabling technologies.