International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET)

Volume 7, Issue 3, May–June 2016, pp.426–436, Article ID: IJMET_07_03_038

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IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESS INDUSTRIES

BY USING WORK STUDY METHODS: A
CASE STUDY
Dr. M. P. Singh
Professor, Jagannath University, Rajasthan, India

Hemant Yadav
PG Student, Jagannath University, Rajasthan, India

ABSTRACT
The globalization of the Indian economy has faced a great challenge to the
Indian small industries in respect of productivity, quality, cost, delivery etc.
TO achieve success in the global market it is required fundamental
improvement in the way of production in small process industries. The internal
manufacturing process and supporting infrastructure should be such that it
can complete successful global market with better flexibility and delivery.
In this paper a case study of a small process industry, some changes in the
process has been suggested using time study method which lead to reduction
in process time, labour cost and production cost.
Key words: Indian Battery Industry, Work Study, Time Study, Plant Layout
Cite this Article: Dr. M. P. Singh and Hemant Yadav, Improvement In
Process Industries by Using Work Study Methods: A Case Study.
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 7(3), 2016,
pp. 426–436.
http://www.iaeme.com/currentissue.asp?JType=IJMET&VType=7&IType=3

INTRODUCTION
The great deal of effort is required in industry for effective production that includes
less production time and higher efficiency. Work study is a generic term for those
techniques, particularly method study and work measurement, which are used in the
examination of human work in all its contexts, and which lead systematically to the
investigation of all the factors which affect the e fficiency and economy of the
situation being reviewed, in order to effect improvement. Work study is thus
especially concerned with productivity. It is most frequently used to increase the
amount produced from a given quantity of resources without further capital
investment except, perhaps, on a very small scale.

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 Improvement In Process Industries by Using Work Study Methods: A Case Study

Work study was widely known for years as "time and motion study", but with the
development of the technique and its application to a very wide range of activities it
was felt by many people that the older title was both too narrow and insufficiently
descriptive.
The research and development necessary to develop a new process or a machine
of higher performance are usually expensive and take a long time, and there is always
the risk that the improvements achieved may not justify the time and money spent.
Even to achieve worth-while improvements in existing processes may take
considerable time and money. In countries where there is little capital to spare and
where the need for increased productivity is urgent this approach to the problem may
not even be possible.

PROCEDURE OF TIME STUDY

 Identifying the job to be timed and operations to be timed.
 Obtaining an improved procedure from method study department.
 Select worker for study
 Collecting the equipment and arrange machinery required to conduct time study and
ensure accuracy in recording time
 Explaining to the worker the improved working procedure and use of tools and
fixtures
 Breaking the job into operations and operations into elements and writing them in a
proper format
 Conducting the observations and recording them on the time study form
 Rating the performance of the worker

Work study

Method study Work measurement

Time study Motion study

Figure 1.1 Time study

CASE STUDY
OBSERVATION
After deep study and observation of existing processes, plant layout and collection of
data about process time. Every factor is discussed with labour, engineer and higher
level management. Every process time recording individual. XYZ Ltd is a battery
production industry. Manufacturing process of the XYZ Ltd is described as follows-
Brought up the lead alloy from supplier and store it to company godown. Also
purchase container, packing cartoon, separator and terminals from other suppliers.
Now firstly mix water to lead alloy by workers and then the mixture is enter to the
casting machine hopper and casting the plate by old casting machine. Now the casting
plates placed outside for two days for drying. Then plates are taken away for pasting.

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 Dr. M. P. Singh and Hemant Yadav

In pasting, cathode and anode are pasted on the plates. Cathode and a node powder
mix with sulphuric acid to make the paste. Now the paste is entered in the hopper and
casting plate is placed on belt conveyor of pasting machine. Then pasting of the plates
have been done. Place the plates for drying for 2 to 3 days. Furthermore, these plates
are stored in rack-trolley for curing purpose. Now carry these plates to curing section
for curing purpose and store them for 72 hours and generate 90% humidity. After
curing store these plates to outside for 1 day. Take these plates to oven for drying
because only 1% humidity allowed in plates. Then take these plates to outside from
oven for cooling. Finishing of plates by workers and plates ready for assembling in
one day.
Carry the plates by using lift conveyer to assembly section. In as sembly section, a
separator is placed between cathode and anode. Then combination of plates is done
for producing the cell. And welding the cells. Make the holes in container by high
temperature flame and the cells are taken into the container. All the cells are soldered
each other and connect the terminal as cathode to cathode and anode to anode by
soldering. Now the container is covered and sealed buy heating machine. Now testing
of leakage is done by testing machine. Dry battery is ready now. Punching of codes
on battery container.
Dry battery is carried in charging section using lift conveyer. Fulfill the electrolyte
automatically to dry battery. 36 batteries are connected to a charging panel for
charging and the batteries are charged to 100%. Now the se rial number and a unique
codes are given to the batteries, then these batteries are packed in cartoons. Store the
battery in company godown for transport. These batteries carried to ware house by
transport. Battery come to distributer and dealer .finally at last customer purchase the
battery.

Raw material Casting the Pasting the Curing the

lead alloy plates plates plates

Co mbination of Plate separator Remove

Plate fin ishing
plates mo isture

Jig bo x burring Made the cell Dropping of Inter cell

cell in bo x weld ing

Dry battery Code punch Air leakage Heat sealing of

ready testing container &
cover

Fill Charged 100%

electrolyte Put unique code and
serial no.& code
Battery packing
Fin ished goods

Flow chart in battery process industries

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 Improvement In Process Industries by Using Work Study Methods: A Case Study

Problems faced in existing process

Proble m 1: In existing plant of XYZ Ltd casting machine is old technology based. It
has less production rate which is quite not suitable in this competitive global market.
The lower production rate causes delay the product for next process.
Proble m 2: The second major problem faced in plant is that plate finishing is done by
labour manually. So the finishing rate is very less and labour cost is high.
Proble m 3: Some components brought from sister industry are not ready to use. So it
consume some time to make it suitable for use like battery container without hole.

FLOW CHART OF EXISTING PROCESS

Flow process chart Material Type Chart

Chart no. 1 Summary

Sheet no.1
Activity present Proposed saving

Subject: Operation
Charted:
Transport

Delay

Activity: Inspection
Receive,
Check,
Inspect, storage
Store and
transfer
method present
Location Distance in
meter
Operative Time in min.
Clock no.
Cost
labour
material
Total
description Qty Distance Time Symbo l labour
(1 case)

Lead alloy 10000

,Separator and meter
jig bo x co me
into plant
Store raw 50meter 2 hours 4
material in
company by
worker
Lead alloy 10 min 2
mixing with
distilled water

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 Dr. M. P. Singh and Hemant Yadav

Leads alloy 10 meter 6 sec 2

enter in casting
hopper and
start casting by
old casting
mach ine
Production 2 hour
delay due to
low production
rate
Storage the 2 days 3
casting plates
Pasting the 11 meter 2 sec 2
plates
Storage the 30 sec 3
pasting plates
in racks
Carry the 10 meter 1 min 1
plates for
curing
Curing the 3 days
plates
Store plates 1 day 1
after curing
Remove 6 hour 1
mo isture fro m
plates using
oven
Fin ishing 40 sec 7
plates surface
by workers
Store the 2 min 2
fin ishing plates
Move the 3 meter 15 min 2
fin ishing plates
to assembly
section by lifts
hoist
Put the jig on 5 min 2
roller conveyor
for further line
assembly
Co mbination 5 min 2
of plates and
separator
Create holes in 1 meter 3 min 1
container
through
burning

Made the cell 1 meter 3 min 1

Dropping the 1 meter 2 min 1
cell in
container

Welding of 1 meter 5 min 1

intercell and
terminal

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 Improvement In Process Industries by Using Work Study Methods: A Case Study

Covering of 1 meter 5 min 1

container and
air seal by
heating
Testing of air 1 meter 3 min 1
leakage
Code punch on 1 meter 2 min 1
container
Dry battery 5 meter 10 min
ready for
storage
Forward the 20 meter 15 min 2
battery for
filling
electrolyte,
charging and
packaging at
same section
by hoist
conveyor
Filling 10 meter 1 min 2
electrolyte in
dry battery
Further move 20 meter 1 min 2
the battery for
charging by
trolley
Charging the 24
battery hours
Inspection of 8 meter 5 min 2
battery’s
gravity and
voltage
Stick the serial
no. and unique
code on the 10 meter 2 min 1
battery
Packaging 10 min 2
Store the 50 meter 10min 4
Fin ish goods
for selling

Improvement in process
After implementation XYZ Ltd is started use of advance casting machine which has
high production rate. It neglect the delay time. Second major improvement is install
automated plate finishing machine. XYZ Ltd is now started purchasing the battery
container with hole and complete ready to use condition which reduce the process
time.

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 Dr. M. P. Singh and Hemant Yadav

Flow chart of improvement industry process

Flow process chart 2 Material Type Chart

Chart no. 2 Summary

Sheet no. 2
Activity present Proposed Saving

Subject: operation 18 17 1
Charted:
Transport 6 6

Delay 1 0 1

Activity: inspection 2 2 0
Receive,
Check,
Inspect, storage
Store and 7 7 0
transfer method
present
Location Distance in 10214 10213 1
meter
Operative Time in 12957min 18sec 12833min 36sec 123min
Clock no. min. 42 sec.
Cost
labour 56 50 6
material
Total
description Qty distance Time Symbo l Labour
(1 case)

Lead alloy 10000

,Separator and meters
jig bo x co me
into plant
Store raw 2 hours 4
material in
company by
worker
Lead alloy 10 min 2
mixing with
distilled water

Leads alloy 2 sec 2

enter in casting
hopper and
start casting by
advance
casting
mach ine

No Delay 0hour
Storage the 2 days 3

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 Improvement In Process Industries by Using Work Study Methods: A Case Study

casting plates
Pasting the 11 meter 2 sec 2
plates
Storage the 30 sec 3
pasting plates
in racks
Carry the plates 10 meter 1 min 1
for curing
Curing the 3 days
plates

Store plates 1 day 1

after curing
Remove 6 hour 1
mo isture fro m
plates using
oven
Fin ishing 2 sec 2
plates surface
by automated
mach ine
Store the 2 min 2
fin ishing plates

Move the 3 meter 15 min 2

fin ishing plates
to assembly
section through
lifts
Put the jig on 5 min 2
roller conveyor
for further line
assembly
Co mbination 5 min 2
of plates and
separator
Already 0min 0
purchase hole
container and
eliminated
operation
Made the cell 1 meter 3 min 1

Dropping the 1 meter 2 min 1

cell in
container
Welding of 1 meter 5 min 1
inter cell and
terminal
Covering of 1 meter 5 min 1
container and
air seal by
heating
Testing of air 1 meter 3 min 1
leakage
Code punch on 1 meter 2 min 1
container

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 Dr. M. P. Singh and Hemant Yadav

Dry battery 5 meter 10 min

ready for
storage
Forward the 20 meter 15 min 2
battery for
filling
electrolyte,
charging and
packaging at
same section
by hoist
conveyor
Filling 10 meter 1 min 2
electrolyte in
dry battery

Further move 20 meter 1 min 2

the battery for
charging by
trolley
Charging the 24 hours
battery
Inspection of 8 meter 5 min 2
battery’s
gravity and
voltage

Stick the serial 10 meter 2 min 1

no. and unique
code on the
battery
Packaging 10 min 2

Store the 50 meter 10min 4

Fin ish goods
for selling

CALCULATION
i. Assemble section total cycle time 30 min.
Total plant working time 8 hours.
Total Cycle = 8*60/30=16
one cycle save time by purchase container with hole = 1min.
one day =16 cycle
one day saving time =16*1=16 min
one month time save = 16*30= 480 min.
ii. Before implementation mold casting rates 24 plates per min.
If we will use advance casting m/c casting rates 36 plates per min.
Production rate increase per minute by advance casting m/c= (36-24/24)*100=50%.
Time save in one hour approx =10 min.
One day saving time = 10*8=80 min.
One month saving time=80*30=2400min.
iii. Plate finishing 7 workers only 5400 plate finishing

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 Improvement In Process Industries by Using Work Study Methods: A Case Study

If we will using automated finishing m/c we use only 2 workers and around
12000 plate finishing one day.
Finishing rate increases per day (12000-5400/5400)*100 = 6600 = 122%
Therefore we use automated m/c our production rate increase and save 5 labours.
At the end of discuss about the present and proposed methods, and the benefits of
proposed methods are highlighted.

Present
i. Molded casting machine
production rate 24 plate
per min.
ii. Delay time for pasting
machine is high.
iii. Plate finishing by worker
and finishing rate is low.
iv. 5400 plates finished in
one day.
v. 7 workers is working in
finishing process.
vi. Company create holes in
container in 1 min.
vii. Create a hole in container
by one worker.
viii. Labour cost is high .
ix. Production cost is high.
x. Production rate is low.
Proposed
Advance casting machine production
rate 36 plates per min.
Delay time reduce for pasting
machine.
Plate finishing by automated
finishing machine and finishing rate
is high.
12000 plates finished in one day.
2 workers will be working in
finishing process.
company purchase container with
hole and save 1 min .
already create hole and save one
worker.
Labour cost is low.
Production cost is low.
Production rate is high.

CONCLUSION
During the study of the process of the battery manufacturing plant, existing processes
are examined critically with method study & layout technique. It is observed that the
battery plant is not using optimum layout and there are chances for improvement.
Various layout and method study tools are applied and flow process charts, flow
diagram and existing layout has been prepared. New technologies are used to reduced
production cost, process time, cost and energy consumption. With the help of
recorded observation and discussion with manager of the company, improved layout
and flow process chart and new devices are suggested.

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 Dr. M. P. Singh and Hemant Yadav

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