FABRICATION CELL DESIGN THROUGH SIMULATION MODELING AND ANALYSIS AT THYSSEN-KRUPP ELEVATORS

摘要

One of ThyssenKrupp Elevator's (TKE) manufacturing plants recently underwent a major facility redesign in order to improve throughput. Part of that effort involved converting a fabrication area from a by-equipment departmental arrangement to a work cell. This case study describes the use of simulation to effectively analyze and design the cell. The simulation model provided TKE with a means to not only assess the feasibility of an initial proposed design, but to consider and evaluate a number of alternative designs. Decision variables included equipment and labor resources, work hours, product mix, level of variability, work release strategies, work sequencing, etc. Simulation demonstrated infeasibility of the initial proposed design and led to a feasible, and much improved, production system.