Optimization of Work in Process through Design of Experiments and Simulation Scenarios

摘要

This study aims to minimize the work in process through design of experiments and simulation scenarios. In the literature it is possible to find publications related to reducing work in process through inventory control tools and methodologies applied in areas of production management: forecasts, inventory theory, lean manufacturing tools, just in time, discrete simulation, among others.However, the approach in the present investigation consists of three main tools; lean manufacturing philosophy, discrete event simulation and design of experiments. About lean manufacturing philosophy, the focus of the tools applied to the improvement of flow of materials within the production lines was taken, where its main objective is to create a continuous flow by reducing inventories and process balance. Simulation as a basis for conducting experiments and avoiding submitting the real system to look for a plant distribution and ensuring a continuous flow of material throughout the model. Design of experiments is aimed at identifying the significant factors in the model that affect work in process, which simplifies obtaining information about which variables have the greatest impact on the response.With this, a lean system capable of integrating three tools was created, developing a methodology that served for the construction of the ideal model and it was observed that it is not necessary for a productive system to have large amounts of work in process to function correctly. The excess of work in process generates expenses in materials and their storage, thus it is possible to be said that the new system manages to diminish expenses like costs of work in process (WIP) and cost of total production by means of optimizing the work in process.