ABAP: Advanced Business Application Engineering.
ABB: Activity Based Budgeting.
ABC: In costing, Activity Based Costing
ABC Classification: The division of products in a group into three sub-groups: Group A, Group B and Group C.
ABCD Checklist: The late Oliver Wight, and, through him, the MRP training company that bears his name, have established an assessment and scoring system whereby companies that have installed MRPII can judge how well they have succeeded.
Acceptable Quality Level (AQL): If a supplier sends parts to a buyer, then the two parties may agree that a sampling plan should be used by the buyer to validate their quality on receipt. Among other things, the sampling plan will be selected on the basis that the incoming parts are to be at an agreed quality level of “p%” or better.
Acceptance (of Goods): A formal acknowledgement by a recipient that goods which have been physically delivered are satisfactory with regard to their identity (ie type), quality, quantity and other matters of central concern in the contract.
Accuracy (of a measurement). A measurement process that has a small variability is said to have high precision. This does not mean, however, that the measured value is the true value. If the measured value is M and the true value is T, then the total error = M – T.
Activity Based Costing (ABC): A costing procedure devised by Robert Kaplan (*) and Robin Cooper in 1988 whereby the costs incurred in manufacturing are not accumulated by geographic area, and then assigned to products based on a simple “cost driver”, such as the number of employees in the area, but instead are accumulated by type of activity undertaken. Examples of activities are machine set ups; quality management; purchase order placement; etc.. The costs incurred in these activities are then allocated to products based on the demand the products make on the activities.
Adaptive Exponential Smoothing: Devised by Derek Trigg originally in connection with the tracking of the Nylon 8 process at ICI in Wilton, Co. Durham, Adaptive Smoothing is the only naive forecasting technique to incorporate a built-in ability to adapt its own behaviour as circumstances change. The exponent alpha in single exponential smoothing is replaced by a variable “A”, calculated from the past “n” forecast errors, where A = (sum of the errors where signs cancel) / (absolute sum of the errors). In short, as errors start to increase, A gets bigger and the forecasts start to catch up to the new level of demand. Adaptive smoothing is not a sound forecasting technique and is no longer used; it is regarded as a curiosity.
ADC: Automated data capture.
ADE: Automated Data Entry.
ADSL: Assymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, a methodology enabling a single copper wire carrying a telephone signal to transmit data at anything from 10x the normal rate to 40x the normal rate – ie it is a digital connection over a normal telephone line that is also capable of carrying high speed traffic.
AEN: Ambient electromagnetic noise. The electrical and magnetic waves measured in decibels that are generated in the air by electrical devices – sortation systems, conveyors, alarm systems, radio VDUs etc..
AIMS: Agile Infrastructure for Manufactured Systems (a program).
AIT: Automatic Identification Technology (Auto ID)
Alphanumeric Code: “Alpha” means allowing letters of the alphabet, and “numeric” means numbers 0 to 9. Thus an alphanumeric code is one potentially containing letters (A, B, C and/or a,b,c …) and numbers (1, 2, 3 …).
AMH: Automated Materials Handling.
Ancestor: A material anywhere within a product’s bill of material at a lower level. Thus if A and B are used to make material C, A and B are C’s ancestors.
Annual Usage Value (AUV): The quantity of a material used per annum, multiplied by its unit cost.
ANSI: American National Standards Institute.
ANSI/ISO/ASQC Q9000: The US terminology for ISO 9000
ANSI ASC X.121 : also known as X.12, a technical standard for the transmission of EDI messages over telecommunications links.
AOQ: Average Outgoing Quality.
API: Application Program Interface.
APICS: The American Production and Inventory Control Society. Visit www.apics.org.
APO: Advanced Planning & Optimisation.
APQP: Advanced Product Quality Planning.
ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average): A refinement of ARMA, and better known as Box-Jenkins Technique (qv).
ARMA (Autoregressive Moving Average): A causal forecasting technique and the forerunner of ARIMA.
ASN: Advance Shipping Notice, or Advance Shipping Notification.
Assembly: A structure or machine which is put together (or “built”) by fitting together two or many sub-assemblies. By contrast, a sub-assembly usually has a defined, single function within the overall assembly in which it is incorporated. Sub-assemblies themselves are likely to be built from individual product components.
Backflushing: The practice of calculating the amounts of stock of components in an assembly area or on a shop floor by reference to three sources of data: (1) the original amounts known to have been delivered to assembly or to the shop floor; (2) the amounts of achieved production of finished work involving the use of the components; and (3) the Bill of Materials.
Batch: A quantity of material manufactured in a single production run.
Batch Number: A unique identification number assigned by production management to a specific, identifiable batch of production.
BER: Beyond Economic Repair
Bill of Materials: A single-level bill of materials, as the term is applied to a sales product or assembly, is a representation of that product and the immediate components of which it is composed.
BIOS: Basic Input Output System.
BM: Buffer Management.
BPR: Business Process Re-engineering. The examination of the processes and procedures which make up the operational activities of the company, and through which its products and services are delivered, such examination being conducted with a view to streamlining them to eliminate those which are wasteful (*) and to focus those which “add value” more intently on customer requirements.
CAD: See Computer Aided Design.
CAM: Computer-Aided Manufacturing.
CAMU: Computerised Assembly Mock Up.
Capability Index: A succinct measure of the capability of a process to manufacture parts of given upper and lower specification limits.
Carousel (Horizontal): An electromechanical storage and stock-to-picker stock retrieval device consisting of numerous stacks of trays or receptacles.
Carousel (Vertical): An electromechanical storage and stock-to-picker stock retrieval cabinet, smaller ones being about 10′ to 15′ high, especially suitable for small objects.
CASE: Computer Aided System Engineering.
CFM: Continuous Flow Manufacture.
CGMP: Current Good Manufacturing Practice.
CIDM: Computer-Integrated Decision Making.
CIGS: CuInGaSe2, a semiconductor compound that absorbs light by freeing electrons.
CLT: cumulative lead time – usually, the total leadtime of all stages of manufacture to make a product ab initio.
COB: Chip On Board.
COBOL: Commercial and Business Oriented Language, a procedural computer language especially geared to the programming and production of reports, presentations and so on, rather than to the programming of scientific calculations.
DAMA: Design Anywhere, Manufacture Anywhere.
DBMS: Data Base Management System.
DFA: Design For Assembly.
DFAA: Design For Automated Assembly.
DFM: Design for Manufacturability
DFMA: Design for Manufacturability and Assembly
Durability: the degree or length of use of an object until its replacement becomes preferable to its repair.
ECM: Engineering Change Management.
ECN: Engineering Change Notice (ie synonymous with ECO).
ECO: Engineering Change Order.
FA: Flexible Automation.
Fab: Jargon for a semiconductor manufacturing plant.
Fabrication: Literally, “manufacture”, the term being used usually in relation to the operations involved in the manufacture of a component rather than in the manufacture of an assembly or final product.
Fail Safe (= “Failure to Safety”): an interlocking machinery guard system, being a guard with a moveable part connected with the macinery controls, such that (1) the parts of the machinery constituting a danger cannot be set in motion until the guard is closed, or (2) such that the power is switched off and the motion braked before the guard can be opened to allow access to the dangerous parts.
Failure Mode: The reaction of a manufactured product to a cause of failure. For example, the cause of failure may a surge of current; the failure mode of the product as a result of the surge may be a burnt out circuit. The concept of failure mode is employed in FMECA, qv.
Failure Rate: Usually denoted by the Greek letter lamda. Under operational conditions, the failure rate of a particular type of component or unit expresses the number of failing units to have occurred by a certain time as a fraction of the number of surviving units.
HACCP: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points – the evaluation of potential sources of failure in a product under design.
HEMT: High Electron Mobility Transfer.
HMD: Head Mounted Display.
Implied Terms (legal): Implied terms are those which are not written down in a contract, but are nevertheless assumed to be part of it, either by commonsense or by the “custom and practice of the trade”.
IP: Intellectual Property, or Internet Protocol.
IPPD: Integrated Product and Process Development.
IPR: Intellectual Property Rights.
IPT: Integrated Product Team.
IQR: Inventory Quality Ratio.
IR: Infra Red.
IRR: Internal Rate of Return.
ISO: International Standards Organisation.
ISO 9000: A set of procedures, controls and documentation requirements issued by the International Standards Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland, which the ISO believes must be followed by an organisation in order for it to deliver “quality” goods or services. There have been two major issues of the standard: (1) ISO 9000 : 1994, including ISO 9001 : 1994, ISO 9002 : 1994, ISO 9003 : 1994 and ISO 9004 : 1994 and (2) ISO 9000 : 2000, ISO 9001 : 2000 and ISO 9004 : 2000. In December 2003, 9002 and 9003 of the 1994 standard will become obsolete. See ISO 9000 (The Case Against): a book by John Seddon, 2nd edition, Oak Tree Press.
ISO TS 16949: An ISO standard, successor to QS 9000.
Valves
Actuators
Device used to open or close or control valves.
Air valves
Valve that is used to control the flow of air.
Back pressure
The pressure exerted on the downstream side of a valve .
Ball valves
Normally a quarter-turn valve with a ball type closing element held between two seats.
Bellows
Sealing device which prevents line media leaking between the stem and the body.
Butterfly valves
A quarter-turn valve which has a circular disk as its closing element. The standard design has the valve stem running through the disk, giving a symmetrical appearance. Later designs off-set the stem, so that the disk ‘cams’ into the valve seat.
Bypass valves
A small bore valve fitted in parallel to a larger main valve. Bypass valves are used to reduce the differential pressure across the main valve before this latter valve is opened (as otherwise this larger, more expensive valve, may suffer damage to internal components).
Check valves
A valve that is designed to allow the fluid to flow in a given direction but closes to prevent backflow. Types include swing check, tilting disc check and wafer check. Check valves (also called non-return valves) are usually self-acting.
Control valves
A valve which regulates the flow or pressure of a fluid. Control valves normally respond to signals generated by independent devices such as flow meters, temperature gauges, etc. Control valves are normally fitted with actuators and positioners. Pneumatically-actuated globe valves are widely used for control purposes
Cryogenic valves
These are valves suited for use at very low temperatures (cryongenic service)
Diaphragm valve
A bi-directional valve which is operated by applying an external force to a flexible element, or diaphragm (typically an elastomer). Diaphragm valves may be used for slurries (where other valve designs might clog) or in hygienic applications.There are several types of these valves but the general operation is the same.
Diverter valve
A valve which can change the direction of the flow of a medium to two, three or more different directions. This will save the user having to connect several single valves and piping together to achieve the same thing
Double block and bleed
A valve configuration in which positive shut-off is achieved at both the inlet and outlet sides. A small port is fitted to discharge fluid or gas in the intermediate space. This port can help a user check if the valve is leaking.
Electric actuators
Actuator which uses an electric motor to operate the valve stem.
Extended bonnets
Used when the media is at high or low temperatures, to avoid damage to the sealing elements.
Float valves
A valve which automatically opens or closes as the level of a liquid changes. The valve is operated mechanically by a float which rests on the top of the liquid.
Full bore
Term used e.g. of a ball valve, to indicate that the internal diameter of the valve opening is the same as that of the piping to which it is fitted as opposed to “Reduced Bore”
Gate valve s
A multi-turn valve which has a gate-like disk and two seats to close the valve. The gate moves linearly, perpendicular to the direction of flow. This type of valve is normally used in the fully opened or fully closed position; it is not suited to throttling applications. Gate valves provide robust sealing, and are used extensively in the petrochemicals industries.
Gearboxes
Used to ensure easier operation of larger valves by requiring less torque to open or close and are used when people want to use smaller actuators or use less force to open or close.
Globe valves
A multi-turn valve with a closing element that moves perpendicularly to the valve body seat and generally seals in a plane parallel to the direction of flow. This type of valves is suited both to throttling and general flow control.
Hydraulic actuators
A device fitted to the valve stem than uses hydraulic energy to open and close the valve. Depending on the configuration, the hydraulic fluid may both open and close the valve, or just open the valve. Hydraulic actuators can also incorporate springs or compressed air/ gas circuits
Jacketed valves
This valve is design incorporates a so-called jacket around the valve body. Steam is introduced into the jacket to keep the fluids being controlled at the required temperature.
Line blinds
A pipeline shut-off device, whereby a flat disk is forced between two flanges.
Multi-ported
Multi-ported valves include additional inlet/outlet ports, to allow fluids to be directed. The ball and plug valve types are ideally suited to multi-port designs.
Multi-turn
Category of valves (such as gate, globe, needle) which require multiple turns of the stem to move the valve from the fully open to the fully closed positions. Also known as linear valves.
Needle valves
This multi-turn valve derives its name from the needle-shaped closing element. The design resembles that of the globe valve. Typically available in smaller sizes, they are often used on secondary systems for delicate control and shut off e.g with analysers
Penstock valves
A type of simple gate valve, used to contain fluids in open channels. Often found in waste water treatment plants.
Pilot valves
Small valve requiring little power which is used to operate a larger valve.
Pinch valves
A valve in which a flexible hose is pinched between one or two moving external elements to stop the flow. This valve is often used in slurry and mining applications, as its operation is not affected by solid matter in the medium.
Plug valves
This multi-turn valve derives its name from the rotating plug which forms the closing element. The plug may be cylindrical or truncated.
Pneumatic actuators
A device fitted to the valve stem than uses air or gas to open/close or regulate the valve. Depending on the configuration, the compressed air may both open and close the valve, or just open the valve. In that latter case, a spring will typically be fitted inside the actuator to shut or open the valve.
Positioners
Devices that help control the opening and closing of valves remotely by controlling pneumatic or hydraulic elements. Positioners can be controlled by adjusting currents to its circuits or by using air. More and more positioners have feedback control options
Pressure reducing valves
A self-operating valve used to reduce any excess pressure in a system, for example- steam. Also known as a PRV. The valve opens if the internal pressure exceeds that holding the valve disc onto the seat.
Quarter-turn Valves
Category of valves (such as ball and plug valves) which require just a 90 degree turn of the stem to move from the fully open to the fully closed positions.
Reduced bore
Indicates that the internal diameter of the valve is lower than the piping to which the valve is fitted as opposed to full bore (see full bore)
Regulating valves
This valve type is used to regulate flows to provide a constant pressure output.
Sampling valves
A valve which is fitted to a pipeline to allow samples of a fluid to be withdrawn for analysis
Solenoid valves
Solenoid valves are operated by an electrical solenoid. They are often deployed as piloting valves, i.e., fitted to actuators which in turn control larger valves.
Subsea valves
A valve which is designed for use in sea water. For example, installed in a pipeline on the sea bed.
Swing check Valves
This non-return valve has a hinged disk as the closing element.
Tank valves
A valve arranged for fitting at the bottom of a tank or process vessel.
Wellhead valves
Wellhead valves are used to isolate the flow of oil or gas at the takeoff from an oil or gas well. The design is usually a plug or gate valve.
Acknowledgments: www.valvedirectory.com, www.glossaryofmanufacturing.com/