Papers - Inada, Shuhei

Method for Determining the Economic Make-or-Buy Partition in a Serial Production Process Using the Payback Period

Sumi H., Inada S.

Japan Industrial Managemnt Association (Japan Industrial Managemnt Association)  75 ( 4E ) 183 - 194 2025.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Last author, Corresponding author, Accepted

Investigating Method of Non-Conformities in Producer Goods Companises -Proposal of Hidden Flaws in Producer Goods -

Uchida I., Inada S., Nakamura Z.

Human Factors in Japan (The Society for Industrial Plant Human Factors of Japan)  29 ( 1 ) 26 - 34 2024.08

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Corresponding author, Accepted

離散イベントシミュレーションを利用した応援作業者を含む業務の効率改善　-外食店舗を考察対象にした事例研究-

竹内華帆，角晴美子，稲田周平

日本経営工学会論文誌 72 ( 4 ) 212 - 222 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Corresponding author

Greedy Policies for the Storage Location Management in the Distribution Center

角晴美子，稲田周平

J. of Japan Industrial Management Association 72 ( 4E ) 234 - 244 2022.01

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Corresponding author, Accepted

Search algorithm of the assembly sequence of products by using past learning results

Watanabe K., Inada S.

International Journal of Production Economics (International Journal of Production Economics)  226 2020.08

ISSN  09255273

　View Summary

© 2020 In the future smart factory, the production system will further head in the direction of on-demand production. Products will be assembled one by one based on different specifications of customers. In these recognitions, this paper considers a method for raising productivity of the robot work cell. Under the assumption that the dual-arm robot assembles products in the work cell where one robot is in charge of all steps of assembling the product, we propose a computational algorithm for searching the efficient assembly sequence and work assignment to the robot hands utilizing reinforcement learning. Furthermore, we intend to use past learning results to determine work plans of robots more effectively. The proposed methods can eliminate or decrease the workload of the robot teaching. In addition, they can contribute to shorten the assembly time of products by giving the efficient work plan. In this research, the basic theory for automating the work planning of actual assembled products is considered using a building block model.

• Access to Document (DOI)

Improvement of order picking operations in distribution centers by focusing on floor layout and product storage location

Sumi H., Inada S.

Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association (Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association)  71 ( 2 ) 47 - 57 2020

ISSN  13422618

　View Summary

© 2020 Japan Industrial Management Association. All rights reserved. Due to the rapid growth of electronic commerce via the Internet, there is a need to streamline the supply chain in order to reduce product distribution costs and shorten delivery lead times. Among these, the role of distribution centers that connect physical and commercial distribution has become more important. Improvement in work efficiency in the distribution centers has also become an important theme. Aware of such problems, we focus on order picking operations where products are collected based on the customer order since it is one of the most labor-intensive activities in the distribution center. We consider methods to shorten the average traveling distance of order-picking operators from two perspectives: 1) Improving the floor layout of the distribution center, and 2) introducing better management rules to determine the storage position of products. In the first half of the paper, the mathematical model to evaluate the average traveling distance of the picker is proposed. The model proposed assumes that the width of the aisle and the size of the shelf are sufficiently small, and obtains the value of the traveling distance analytically. In addition, improvement measures are considered from the two perspectives stated above, and are evaluated by comparing with the case in conventional Traditional Layout with horizontal and vertical aisles. In the second half of the paper, two improvement measures combining the two perspectives are proposed based on the results of the first half of the paper. Both measures move the accumulation point of products to the center of the lower side of the floor. In addition, the first measure adopts the addition of a diagonal aisle on the floor and class-based management to determine the storage position of products. The second measure executes class-based storage in an area where the work floor is divided using diagonal straight lines, which means being equidistant from the accumulation point of products. As a result, this paper clarifies that the two improvement measures proposed in the second half of the paper shorten the average traveling distance by 25% or more compared to case in conventional Traditional Layout.

単一製品の販売価格・販売量・市場寿命の不確実性に対する製造投資案の安全性分析

稲田周平，市来嵜治

日本経営工学会論文誌 70 ( 2 ) 62 - 70 2019.07

Research paper (scientific journal), Accepted

Safety analysis of manufacturing investment alternatives under uncertainty of product selling price, sales volume and market life

Inada S., Ichikizaki O.

Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association (Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association)  70 ( 2 ) 62 - 70 2019

ISSN  13422618

　View Summary

© 2019 Japan Industrial Management Association. All rights reserved. With the recent diversification of product preferences and increasing competition among companies, uncertainty of product demand is increasing. Product market life becomes shorter and precise prediction of selling price, sales volume and market life of products is becoming difficult. As an analysis on investment for product manufacturing, it is insufficient to only calculate the profit/loss under their expected values. There is a need for a method to quantitatively evaluate the risk of investment proposals. Within such a social background, this paper considers a method for evaluating the profitability and safety of manufacturing investment alternatives under the assumption that product selling price, sales volume and market life are uncertain. In the research, the concept of safety is first defined as the change in the rate of uncertain factors until the profit becomes zero. Next, the paper proposes a method for visualizing the profitability and safety of investment alternatives. In the method proposed, manufacturing investment alternatives are represented as triangles in the X-Y plane indicating the initial investment amount, annual fixed cost and unit variable cost. This method makes it possible to observe superiority or inferiority of the investment alternatives from the viewpoint of profitability and safety against uncertain change of product selling price, sales volume and market life. In addition, the proposed method by using the X-Y plane can help to examine new investment alternatives with improved profit and safety. For example, it can consider improved alternatives which raise safety against shortening market life while maintaining the target profit by reducing the initial investment amount and increasing the unit variable cost.

• Access to Document (DOI)

強化学習を利用した製品組立順序の自動探索

渡邊敬次郎，荒井恭佑，稲田周平

日本経営工学会論文誌 69 ( 3 ) 121 - 130 2018.10

Research paper (scientific journal), Accepted

極値分布を用いた突発的な大口需要の予測法に関する研究

中塚昭宏，稲田周平，松川弘明

日本経営工学会論文誌 69 ( 3 ) 153 - 161 2018.10

Research paper (scientific journal), Accepted

A method for searching assembly orders by utilizing reinforcement learning

Watanabe K., Arai K., Inada S.

Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association (Journal of Japan Industrial Management Association)  69 ( 3 ) 121 - 130 2018

ISSN  13422618

　View Summary

© 2018 Japan Industrial Management Association. All rights reserved. In recent years, the movement to introduce robots in production systems with the aim of replacing manual labor or combining manual and robot labor has started. In particular, dual-arm robots, which have two robotic arms, are gaining much attention in view of their ability to replace manual laborers. However, planning an efficient work system beforehand and teaching the lean movements to the robots are essential for using them more effectively. In assembly processes, the result of selecting the assembly order greatly influences the productivity of the production process. In such a background, this paper examines a method for determining an assembly order with high work efficiency. Under the assumption that dual-arm robots assemble the products that can be assembled easily (i.e., stacking toy blocks is used here), we propose a computational model for searching a highly efficient assembly order utilizing reinforcement learning. We also consider a method for using the results of previous learning model studies to effectively find solutions for new assembly models. Regression analysis is utilized to transfer the past learning results.

• Access to Document (DOI)

Application of the Cumulative Flow Graph to the Case of a Parallel Flow System Based on Stock Quantity

市耒嵜治，片桐健吾，稲田 周平，河野宏和

日本経営工学会論文誌 68 ( 3 ) 191 - 200 2017.10

Accepted

Performance Evaluation of the Aisle Layout Design in the Distribution Center

Taiki Kawamoto, INADA SHUHEI

Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Industrial Engineering  2016.10

Research paper (international conference proceedings), Accepted

A FUNDAMENTAL ROBOT WORK SYSTEM　EQUIPPED WITH THE SELF-IMPROVEMENT MECHANISM

INADA SHUHEI, Takahira Yamaguchi, Masashi Fuchizawa, Kyosuke Arai

Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Industrial Engineering  2016.10

Research paper (international conference proceedings), Accepted

視点データに基づく作業システムにおける「迷い」の検出

市来嵜治，前川昌彦，稲田周平

日本設備管理学会誌 24 ( 4 ) 254-266 2013.04

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

複数の製品種を製造する場合の投資案の安全性分析

稲田周平，長町悠樹，坂田啓

日本経営工学会論文誌 64 ( 1 ) 53-62 2013.04

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

A Case Study on Optimal Allocation of Call Center Staff - With Unused Phones and Repeated Calls Situation Considered -

Masahiko Tanaka, Hangfeng Luo, Shuhei Inada, Akihiro Nakatsuka

Innovation and Supply Chain Management 7 ( 1 ) 25-31 2013.03

Research paper (scientific journal), Joint Work, Accepted

現場改善を通じた改善力の向上

稲田周平

IEレビュー誌 53 ( 3 ) 4-5 2012.08

Research paper (other academic), Single Work

日本一のブランドを目指した改善活動（柿本榮三美容室）

柿本哲，稲田周平

IEレビュー誌 53 ( 2 ) 37-44 2012.05

Research paper (other academic), Joint Work

An Analysis on Make-or-Buy Decision Making in Serial Production System

De-bi Cao, Bongsung Chu, INADA SHUHEI

17th International Working Seminar on Production Economics  2012.02

Research paper (conference, symposium, etc.), Joint Work, Accepted