Manufacturers

Lean - Cellular/Flow Manufacturing

Slash Lead Times and Increase Productivity by Improving Product Flow

What is Cellular/Flow Manufacturing?

Cellular manufacturing is an approach that helps build a variety of products with as little waste as possible. Equipment and workstations are arranged in a sequence that supports a smooth flow of materials and components through the process, with minimal transport or delay.

When processes are balanced, the product flows continuously and customer demands are easily met. Cellular/Flow Manufacturing is the linking of manual and machine operations into the most efficient combination of resources to maximize value-added content while minimizing waste. The most efficient combination implies the concept of process balancing. Only in a balanced process will the product continually flow. As a result, parts movement is minimized, wait time between operations is reduced, inventory is reduced and productivity increases.

Benefits

• Maximize value added by each worker
• Minimize part movement and inventory
• Reduce lead times, cycle times and waiting times
• Increase productivity and quality performance
• Free up floor space
• Improve efficiency of cross-training workers
• Increase communication
• Increase flexibility

Successes

• Through the implementation of U-shaped design, a precision machine shop increased production flow by 50%, increased capacity by 15%, developed a new product line and maintained the workforce at full capacity.
• Manufacturing cells were created in a metal machining firm that resulted in a 65% reduction in WIP, improved production quality and reduced material transport time from 45 minutes to just 5 minutes.
• A cut and sew operation implemented a work cell that lead to increased product volume, a reduction in finished goods inventory shelving from 800 to 32 linear feet and a 32% increase in profits.

Course Description: LE205 - One-Day Workshop: Cellular/Flow Manufacturing

Cellular/Flow Manufacturing is part of an integrated suite of tools and services developed specifically for manufacturers. This course is one in a series of related lean courses MEP offers. Experience the results of Cellular/Flow Manufacturing principles in this workshop as you apply them yourself in a life-like simulation. First, you'll learn the concepts of Cellular/Flor Manufacturing. Then, you'll help transform your traditional batch production area to a cellular layout and see the dramatic changes in the way the product flows, so that customer demand is met on time, every time.