Page 228 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

206 Cha pte r T h i r tee n

Cell 1 A
Gamma line
Flow New cellular layout
B
Cell 2 A
C
D
B
C Flow
D
1 2 3 4 5
A C D
Cell 3 B D Notes:
The circled letters are material delivery locations
C Operators are opposite delivery locations
Operation is Right to left
B
A
Cell 3
FIGURE 13-2 Gamma line, new cellular layout.

The Results
Actual production was as shown in Table 13-4.

• Production had increased from 163 units/hr to 266 units/hr!
• Cycle time had reduced from 22 seconds to 12.5 seconds!
• This was a 63 percent increase in production using the same people, on the
same machines, with the same raw materials … and all we changed was the
work environment by the conversion to cellular manufacturing.

Where All These Production Gains Came From
Just to refresh, see Chap. 5 again on how to reduce lead time and improve flow. Review
the seven ways, which are:

• Reduce production time.
• Reduce piece wait time.
• Reduce lot wait time.
• Reduce process delays.
• Manage the process to absorb deviations, solve problems.
• Reduce transportation delays.
• Reduce changeover times.

We did nothing to reduce the production—that is, work time—and since it was
already one-piece flow with standard WIP of one, lot wait time was already zero. We