Design of Compact Lean Manufacturing Lines

摘要

With ever-growing demand for better utilization of resources in every aspect of manufacturing, emphasis has been placed on developing manufacturing lines that are lean. Currently, U-shaped manufacturing lines are being developed to accommodate changing personnel requirements based on demand. While a lot of attention has been paid to reducing in-process inventory waste, standby waste and operational waste, machine utilization is often neglected. Current process razing techniques target flexible manning and WIP reduction, but the result is often more machines than are necessary. Machines, if not being used at or near capacity, should be considered a form of waste and thus removed from the line. This paper presents an approach for designing and redesigning manufacturing lines in order to meet required demand with the smallest possible floor space. Novel line configurations and their applicability are investigated, in addition to traditional U-shaped lines, to find the most efficient line design.