Running an operation lean means: Removal of waste of all kinds (e.g. time, motion, inventory, poor cost of quality, etc.) An organization that stimulates productivity and quality An organization using value-added processes Low Quality = High Waste High Quality = Low Waste and Higher Value There are several ways to be Lean— TQM Six Sigma SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) PM/TPM (Preventive Maintenance/Total Preventive Maintenance) JIT (Just In Time) Continuous Improvement/Kaizen And Many More…
CELLULAR MANUFACTURING: MANUFACTURING A Lean Manufacturing Concept
Cellular Manufacturing
One of these lean practices, cellular manufacturing, is based on a group of different processes located in close proximity to manufacture a group of similar products. The primary purpose of cellular manufacturing is to reduce cycle time and inventories to meet market response times. Some of the other benefits include: Space Reduction Quality Improvement Labor Cost Reduction Improved Machine Utilization Where would you begin? First, you would define the cell you plan to create. Criteria required for defining the cell would be based on: Processes Required Part Numbers & Attributes (size, shape, raw materials required) Market segments/customers Degree of Automation
By Jay P. Patel, Principle Consultant, Quality & Productivity Solutions, Inc.
Copyright©2000 by Jay Patel
Cellular manufacturing is an application of the group technology concepts for factory reconfiguration and shop floor layout design. A part family can be parts similar in size or parts created using similar manufacturing steps. Typically, a cell is dedicated to a single part family. Cellular manufacturing does have some important human resource issues to consider: Operators must be trained properly to perform tasks including inspection and simple maintenance Cross functional training is critical since operators perform a variety of tasks and move between workstations and cells as the need arises