One piece flow production is the betterment of batch processing in manufacturing automation. Batch processing was a large step up from the manual processing in the past, but one piece flow production is an even larger step up from batch processing. Just the name of batch processing indicates that large groups or batches of products are manufactured. This is a great idea, but there is a better way. Employing batch processing in a production line dictates that a work cell of the line must complete a given batch of products before the next stage of production can begin. This means that there is an area of the factory that is set aside to hold those partially completed products. Each work cell in the batch processing production line has an accumulation of partially completed products, making for a significant use of warehouse during production. Most of the time the equipment that used for the production of batches has a larger footprint in the factory taking up additional space.
In addition to the extra space that is required for batch processing, there is a need for more transportation to and from the work areas on the production line. Tow motors and other such moving vehicles are required to make the moves of products to and from the production line to accommodate manufacturing automation. More employees are required to move the products back and forth, increasing the labor expense for batch processing. All this moving causes some amount of delay in the production cycles. Batch processing is a hurry up and wait scenario. Batch processing can be touted as manufacturing automation, but as with any process improvements come along based on the experience that those processes yield. Creating only products that have demand is the result of the lessons that have been learned from batch processing. Almost every phase of batch processing has been improved in one piece flow production.
The objective of production is to supply the products that are demanded by customers when the customers want them. Single product creation keeps that as a focus in its design and implementation. As indicated by its name one piece flow production concentrates on producing one product at a time, and doing that job so that customers get their products when they want them. One product is completed by a work cell and passed to the next cell to do its work. This occurs all the way down the production line. There is no accumulation of partially completed products between cells. No extra transportation vehicles or extra employees are required to bring the stuff back and forth to the production line, reducing required space and cost. Getting the one piece production set up optimally will cut lead times. The nature of this production configuration allow for the cross training of employees, so that the business is much more flexible and can respond effectively to more variations in demand on production.
One piece flow production is sometimes called continuous flow production. Continuous movement is the very essence of this concept. The fact that production is geared to meet the demand of customers on their own terms is a positive concept that can make a business profitable. All the constraints that are dictated by continuous flow production makes positive impacts on the bottom line of the manufacturer. Reductions in labor costs, reductions in warehousing costs, increases in production capacity all contribute directly to the profitability of the business. Manufacturing automation is a powerful contributor to and facilitator of one piece production. Equipment footprints have been reduced dramatically so that work cells on the production line are smaller in size. This allows cells to be in closer proximity to one another. The footprint of the entire production line is much smaller that the batch processing counterpart, yet the production throughput is much more efficient. Please review One Piece Flow Production Optimizes Manufacturing Automation for further information
One piece production actually reduces the negative impacts that constrain other types of production configurations. Since there are reductions in the delays and the buildups of stored products during manufacturing, there is less obsolescence and damage to goods in process. Fluid is a good descriptor for one piece production. Products are in a continuous fluid state through the manufacturing process and out the door to customers when the demand is in place. All the parts of the manufacturing process have been synchronized to deliver the goods in a fluid fashion without being impeded in any way. The flexibility and fluidity of one piece production should be the overall target of any manufacturer. All parts of the manufacturing process are reduced to a simplistic form that is totally manageable and delivers high performance.
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