12/16/2023 0 Comments Factory assembly line![]() ![]() “Equipment location is static, but material, people and information flow is dynamic and harder to visualize when working with layouts,” says Smalley. ![]() It’s also important to consider material handling issues, such as parts storage, movement and conveyance. “Whenever Toyota makes a layout change, they always get input from the people working on the line.” “In addition, some engineers don’t adequately involve operators in the line design process,” says Locher. If possible, lighting should be attached to workstations. “As long as it’s safe, try to put everything on wheels and use quick disconnects. “Flexibility is always important,” claims Locher. Not designing in flexibility and not involving operators are two errors that should be avoided. Manufacturing engineers often make several layout mistakes that impede the efficiency of assembly lines. “That’s why you have to design the work combination first before you can design the layout.” Common Mistakes “Line layout is always about flow,” Locher points out. “It’s also important to do this if you’ve made any product design changes. “As a rule of thumb, if demand has changed-up or down in any substantial way-then you should carefully examine your line layout,” adds Locher. Many times, operators are not following the standard work combination that the layout was designed on or standard work in process (WIP) rules. “The issues are often not related to the layout. “You should look for ways that waste has crept back into your line,” says Drew Locher, managing director of Change Management Associates. In fact, this must be part of daily or weekly gemba walks. Manufacturing engineers should be constantly tweaking assembly lines to maximize flow and minimize waste. But, when actual movement of people, material, conveyance and product is put into place, problems jump out more clearly.” “From the 10,000 foot level, things look fine. “Another problem, even in newer facilities, is to not fully plan out layouts in sufficient detail up front,” adds Smalley. It contributes difficulty not only to the flow of product, but the flow of information, communication and daily supervision. ![]() But, it also tends to build in cost in reality, which is not fully understood up front. “Product flow is shoehorned into a space that is not optimal from the start,” explains Smalley. “One is when new process or product lines are put into an old facility. “There are a couple of problems I tend to see,” says Art Smalley, president of the Art of Lean Inc., and a former engineer at Toyota Motor Corp. Manufacturers in a variety of industries face similar line layout issues and challenges. Old or new, large or small it doesn’t matter. “But, requires considerable upfront planning and know-how to get it right.” “It’s not an easy process, but this issue can be overcome with the proper material management system, such as implementing just-in-time kitting, sequencing and a small-lot strategy,” claims Miller. “Consequently, I see a lot of manufacturers struggling with the problem of how to best fit five pounds of stuff in a three-pound bag. “As model mix increases, so does the proliferation of parts and subassemblies that need to be presented line-side,” notes Miller. Unless the line is properly balanced, you’ll end up with overstaffing or regularly scheduling overtime to meet customer demand. “Since the work content for each of the models will be different, this can lead to uneven flow along the line. “Producing more than one model simultaneously on an assembly line presents a number of challenges,” says Jeffrey Miller, P.E., managing principal at Productivity Engineering Services LLC. Many engineers are reluctant to modify their assembly lines, because changing line layout tends to be quite disruptive. One reason is that products are changing more frequently today. Unfortunately, many manufacturers struggle with issues related to line layout. Whether it’s a high-volume, low-mix environment or a low-volume, high-mix line, flexibility is critical. Lean lines should accommodate increasing product variety without compromising quality or introducing waste into the process. The way in which workstations and tools are arranged can affect ergonomics, productivity and throughput. Those concepts also play a critical role in laying out assembly lines. Optimizing flow and minimizing waste are two of the basic elements of lean manufacturing. ![]()
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