Engineering

Management
MSE595LM
Lean Manufacturing

Chapter 3
Flow
 Flow - Definition

 The production system Henry Ford introduced at his Highland

Park, Michigan plant in 1913.
 The objective of flow production was to drastically reduce
product throughput time and human effort through a series of
innovations.
 Consistently interchangeable parts so that cycle times could be
stable for every job along an extended line
 The line itself
 The reconfiguration of part fabrication tasks so that machines
were lined up in process sequence with parts flowing quickly
and smoothly from machine to machine
 Production control system insuring that the production rate in
parts fabrication matched the consumption rate of parts in final
assembly.
 The World of Batch-and-Queue

 What happens when you go to your doctor?

• Make appointment days ahead
• Arrive on time and wait in waiting room
• Doctor behind schedule
• Referral to a specialist
• Laboratory tests
• Wait for results
• Treatment or medication given
• Trip to pharmacy or to specialist
• Hospitalization – whole new disconnected processes and waiting
 What happens when you take a flight?
 What happens when you build a custom home?
• As the customer, you pay for all the waiting and rework
 The creation, ordering, and provision of any good or any
service can be made to flow.
 How to Obtain Flow?

 Think about ways to:

• Line up all of the essential steps needed to get a job done
• Obtain a steady, continuous flow
• No wasted motions
• No interruptions
• No batches
• No queues
 Continuous Flow changes everything:
• How we work together
• The kinds of tools we devise to help with our work
• The organizations we create to facilitate the flow
• The kinds of careers we pursue
• The nature of business firms and their linkage to each other
• The society
 The Techniques of Flow

 Step 1: Focus on the actual object

• The specific design
• The Specific order
• The product itself
 Step 2: Ignore traditional boundaries of
• Jobs
• Careers
• Functions and
• Firms
• Form lean enterprise removing all obstacles to the continuous flow
 Step 3: Rethink specific work practices and tools
• Eliminate backflows, scrap, and stoppages so that the design,
order, and production of the specific product can proceed
continuously
 All three steps must be taken together
 Example: From Batch to Flow in Bicycles
The Design Step
 Marketing department determined a “need”
 Product engineers design a product to serve the need
 Prototype department built a prototype to test the design
 Tooling department designed tools to make a high-volume
version of the approved prototype
 Production engineering figured out how to use the tools to
fabricate the frame and to assemble the component parts into a
completed bike
 Purchasing department arranged to buy the necessary
component parts for delivery to the assembly line once the
design was finalized
 The design moved from department to department waiting in
the queue
 Frequent reworked or secretly reengineered to deal with
incompatibilities between the process steps
 Example: From Batch to Flow in Bicycles
Design Using The Lean Approach
 Create truly dedicated product teams with all the skills required
to conduct the following in one room in short period of time:
• Value specification
• General design
• Detailed engineering
• Purchasing
• Tooling
• Production planning
 Quality Function Deployment (QFD): decision-making
methodology utilizing “standardized work” to ensure process
repeatability
 Throughput time accurately measured
 Design methodology continuously improved
 Example: From Batch to Flow in Bicycles
Order-Taking
 Sales department obtain orders from retailers
 Scheduling department in Operations or Manufacturing work the
production schedules for the various products
 Customers call the Sales department to status late orders
 Sales calls Scheduling
 When customers threaten to cancel orders, Sales and
Scheduling expedite the orders
 Sales and Scheduling had been combined in the early 1990’s
 Computerized systems make instantaneous order changes and
sometimes electronically transmitted to the customers
 Example: From Batch to Flow in Bicycles
Order-Taking Using the Lean Approach
 Sales and Production Scheduling are core members of the
product team
 In a position to plan the sales campaign as the product design
is being developed
 Sale with a clear eye to the capabilities of the production
system so that both orders and the product can flow smoothly
from sale to delivery
 No stoppages in the production system
 Products are built to order
 Only few hours elapse between the first operation on raw
materials and shipment of the finished item
 Orders can be sought and accepted with clear and precise
knowledge of the system’s capabilities
 There is no expediting!
 Takt Time

 Precisely synchronizes the rate of production to the rate of

sales to customers
 Takt Time Calculation Example:
• Customers are placing orders at the rate of 48/day
• Bike factory works a single eight-hour shift

Number of Bikes Ordered 48 Bikes 6 Bikes 1 Bike

  
Number of Hours Available 8 Hours Hour 10 Minutes
 Takt time adjusted as orders increase or decrease over time
 The production slots created by the Takt Time are clearly posted
on whiteboard or electronic displays (andon boards)
 Lean technique – transparency or visual control – everyone
can see where production stands at every moment
Takt Time
Key Points About Takt Time
 Example: From Batch to Flow in Bicycles
Production
 Historic practice was to differentiate production activities by type and
to create departments for each type of activity.
 Frame and handle bars:
• Tube cutting
• Tube bending
• Mitering
• Welding
• Washing
• Painting
 Final Assembly of complete bike
 Over time, higher speed machines with higher levels of automation
were developed for cutting, bending, welding, and painting
 Assembly lines to assemble a mix of high-volume models
 Large batches made before changing over to run the next part
 Large inventory
 Bicycle Plant Layout and Flow

TUBE TUBE TUBE TUBE

START DEBURR 1
STOCK CUTTING MITERING BENDING
STORAGE

COMP
PARTS
STORAGE FRAME
1 WELDING
FRAME
PARTS 2
STORAGE

FINISHED
FRAME FRAME FINAL
2 STORES/ END
WASHING PAINTING FRAME ASSEMBLY
SHIPPING
STORAGE
Engineering
Management

Continuous Flow Factory

 Continuous Flow Production

Remember!

• Make It Flow
• Feed the Flow
• Link the Flow
 Continuous Flow Production

Definition

• Flow of products in a level manner through the

production operations. The ideal situation is one
piece flow at and between processes.

• The intent of flow production is to increase

the velocity of products and make the
production cycle predictable.
 Steady Velocity

Traditional: Batch Production (like a meandering stream with many stagnant pools, waterfalls, and eddies)

When do we get our Parts? 2 WEEKS!

FLOW:Production: Pipeline with fast-flowing water or product

The right Job and it must keep moving

Connected Lines
 Layout change
Before Gear
Drive Slot Hobbing
Hole
Milling Lube Slot
Blank Machining Drilling
Bore Honing Milling Gear
Honing Hob Hobbing
CNC Mill Drill
Mill

Dbur.
Dbur. Chamfer
Chamfer
CNC Lathe
Lathe Boring Gear
Gear
CNC Shaver
Shaver
Manual
Manual Tooth
Tooth
Blank Machining Deburring
Deburring Hole Chamfer
Hole Chamfer
Boring
Boring Gear
After Shaving

CNC Mill
Boring
Mill Drill

Gear
Shaver
CNC Lathe In Out
 Summary of Benefits
 Work flow levels are reduced and progress is visible at a
glance
 The ability to cross train is enhanced
 Work team members take ownership of full process and can
help each other
 Quick problem identification and feedback
 Reduced Cycle Time
 Improved quality through cycle of learning
 Information flow and decision making enhanced
 Value-added ratio improved
 Reduces transportation waste
 Reduces material handling
 Helps to identify root causes of quality problems
 Allows for equipment dedication
 Drives set-up times down
 Rules for Kanban Systems

1) Pull from the downstream process (or customer)

drives the system.
2) All product or inventory is under kanban control.
3) Only an “empty” kanban authorizes production.
4) Never pass a known defect downstream.
5) Use gradual kanban reductions to drive
improvement.
 Purpose of a Kanban System

1) Authorize production

2) Authorize movement.

3) Limits amount of inventory in the system.

4) A tool for driving continuous improvement.

 Kanban

Is a “signal” that: The signal can be a:

• Card
• Authorizes production
• Square
• Authorizes movement • Box
• Limits inventory • Pigeon hole
• Light
• Drives continuous
improvement • Etc.
• Electronic Signal
• Racks
• Shopping Carts
• MRK ( Manufacturing Ready Kit)
 How Many Kanbans?

(Lead Time + Safety Time) = Total Time

Total Time x Production Requirement = Units in Pipeline

Units in Pipeline
= Number of Kanbans
Units per Kanban
 Example

Leadtime 75
Safety Time 14
Total Time 89
Number of months 3

Production monthly requirements 50

Units in the Pipeline 148
Cost of unit 20000
Unit per kanban (container) 25

Number of Kanbans 5.933333

Pipeline inventory cost 2966667

 Pull Production System
Definition
• A customer driven system that produces and
moves a product/service only when the
Customer
customer needs it.
Pulls

Kanban Work Kanban Work Kanban

1 Center A 2 Center B 3

Work Flow
 Kanban Example

Condo-ban!!

Who is full?

Who needs work?

 Kanban

Unit in build

Units ready for calibration

SMT Kanban
Kanban Light (More Work)
 4-754 MRK
Manufacturing Ready Kit: The empty kit signals for replenishment
4-754 MRK
 Homework Assignment
 Questions:
1. Explain what is meant by Continuous Flow Production
2. What is Takt Time? What is Takt Rate? Why is it important
to know them?
 Read Lean Thinking Chapter 4 - Pull
• Pages 67 - 89
Questions? Comments?