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Four simple tips for creating the perfect lean manufacturing work space

A Va l i n l e a n m a n u f a c t u r i n g s e r v i c e s e b o o k

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Lean manufacturing is about the elimination of waste: wasted time, wasted motion, wasted production

Many organizations already apply lean principles to

logistics and supply chain management to reduce waste,

control costs and ensure just-in-time delivery to customers.

Fewer consider the benefits of using the same logic

in their production line or assembly room.

A well-designed lean manufacturing workcell can deliver

agility to your production operations — simplifying

management and material flow, and eliminating

wasted material, movement and time.

But how do you develop an efficient “pull system”?

Here are just a four key practical considerations

and strategies for line design, material delivery, and

worker ergonomics that will help you optimize your

production environment.

Three-foot ergonomic cleanroom workstation Custom ergonomic workstation for a medical

device company.

✓ Modular design with reconfigurable layout

✓ Built-in receptacle hole for easy waste removal

✓ Integrated glass cutting board on tabletop

✓ Air manifold bar built into workstation rear

INTRODUCTION

MINI CASE-STUDY

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PAINTING DEPARTMENT

ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT

DEBURRING DEPARTMENT

CHEMICAL TREATMENT DEPARTMENT

MILLING DEPARTMENT

BORING DEPARTMENT

PARTS SUPPLIER

CUSTOMER

WAREHOUSE (400 UNITS RELEASED

FOR PRODUCTION)

SHIPPING RECEIVING

BATCH & QUEUE PRODUCTION

ELECTRONIC PLANT — CELLUAR LAYOUT

PRODUCT C WORKCELL

PRODUCT D WORKCELL

EXPANSION SPACE

RECEIVING

SHIPPING

PRODUCT E WORKCELL

PRODUCT F WORKCELL

PRODUCT B WORKCELL

PRODUCT A WORKCELL

A B

Functional layouts versus cellular layoutsFunctional configurations

traditionally group work by activity in

departments. A product is worked on

in one department then transported to

another for the next step.

Work-in-progress is completed in

batches and often sits unfinished

at each department in a large

inventory queue. Communication is

difficult, coordination is messy and

wait times for the finished product

can be quite long.

Cellular work layouts create

operational clusters where entire

products are completed in one

continuous effort. Inventories can be

reduced, freeing capital. Productivity

often increases dramatically because

of the minimization of unnecessary

product and worker movement.

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Optimize the workspaceTIP 1:

Do you have the right workcell layout based on your work process? Good workcell design proactively supports lean processes —

creating flow, standardizing work and improving workplace organization. A poor one makes flow more difficult. Your workcell layout must

support the efficient and productive performance of operators. Here are the most common layouts and the situation each suits best.

Workspace checklist:

✓ Are bulky product lines located

close to manufacturing entry and

exit points to minimize handling?

✓ Can you identify product assemblies

sharing process steps that can be

grouped together in a workcell?

U-shape. Arguably the most common

lean workcell layout. With the worker in

the interior of the U, minimum movement

is required to move the workpiece or

assembly from one workstation to the

next. The U-cell makes it possible for a

single operator to own and manage the

entire workflow.

Comb and spine. This suits operations

with a variety of products that must exit

the process flow at different points.

This layout is ideal for fabricators or

job shops with products that share a

number of steps.

S/Z-shape. If your factory floor is

hampered by awkwardly placed pillars,

a S- or Z-shaped layout can deliver an

efficient solution. This orients workflow

around impediments while still allowing

operators access to at least two

workstations for greater efficiency.

✓ Do you have large machinery that

is basically immovable and should

be workcell anchor points?

✓ If your job shop produces many

products, look for commonalities

among your biggest sellers.

Sharing equipment between cells. If

equipment can’t be moved, lean assembly

changes have to occur around this

stationary object. In this model, two cells

share one common piece of equipment.

WORK STATION

#2

WORK STATION

#3

WORK STATION

#1

WORK STATION

#4

WORK STATION

#2

WORK STATION

#3WORK

STATION #4

A

B

WORK STATION

#1

EQUIPMENT SHARED BY 2 CELLS

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Improve the process flowTIP 2:

Flow is the continuous movement of items through the

workcell without interference. When items back up at

certain operations, production will slow down and lead

times will increase.

The key to improving flow is clearly defining your work

process, then finding and eliminating these production

bottlenecks.

Examine the flow of raw material, work-in-progress and

finished goods: is there a smooth progression to, through

and out of the workcell? Are the steps required to operate

machinery all standardized? Steps should not only be

Flow checklist:

✓ Is there a smooth,

repeatable and precise

process for operators?

sequential and repeatable, each sub-assembly operation

should take an equal amount of time. This minimizes lag at

each operation, keeps throughput and prevents constraints.

Transfer system efficiency is also a key factor: each

process step means a workpiece must be transported from

one workstation to another. As no value is added during

transport, investments in this part of the process chain are

often disregarded.

This is a serious mistake: shifting parts from one

workstation to the next, as well as coordinating each

individual production processes, represents time and cost.

✓ What are the process

controls & quality checks?

✓ Is there unnecessary

equipment at workstations?

✓ Do you have shelves for

holding parts?

✓ Is there a set place (such as

smart carts) for everything?

✓ Are work surfaces kept

clean of clutter?

✓ Are your tools color-coded

for instant recognition?

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Design around your productTIP 3:

It’s also important that each workstation or machine be

compact. Compact design reduces excess bench space and

cuts the potential to store parts at the machine — a behavior

that inevitably leads to “batch” processing and defeats the

purpose of lean.

Compact workstations also reduce the floor space needed

and cut the amount of walking workers must do to go from one

sub-process to the next.

Each workstation should be designed to optimize the

performance of a specific sub-process. And be constructed

from material that is easily reconfigurable and reusable.

Design checklist:

✓ What is the best sequence of steps?

✓ What equipment do you need for the task?

✓ How much equipment of each type?

Lightweight bolt-together systems of extruded aluminum are

often ideal for this purpose: easy to move, modify and re-

configure as process improvements are identified. Casters can

also be quickly mounted on aluminum workstation for easy

shifting without forklifts or other lifting equipment.

Easily accessible tool and part racks that have only what is needed for each step in the process can substantially improve production flow.Easily accessible tool and part racks that have only what is needed for each step in the process can substantially improve production flow.

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Improve worker ergonomicsTIP 4:

There is growing evidence that ergonomic workstation

design not only maintains employee health and reduces

workplace injury, it also improves work performance,

efficiency, and processing quality.

Some of the key factors in ergonomic workstation design

are the working height, sizing reach zones and required leg

room, as well as definition of the appropriate range of vision.

Is the workpiece at optimum height for worker? Do they

have to exceed maximum lifting loads when moving

workpieces, or is unnatural movement required? Are all

tools situated within the worker’s field of reach? Is there

sufficient lighting for the task? Are serviceable components

positioned at rear to eliminate maintenance personnel

interfering with production?

Aluminum framing systems and flexible benches can help

here, enabling accessible mounting of work components:

machinery, parts bins, tools, shelves, and fixtures can all be

positioned in the optimum location for efficient work.

Guards and individual panels can be removed quickly with

simple hand tools, enabling service technicians to rapidly

perform maintenance.

And components may be added quickly to any workstation

and easily repositioned to insure accessibility for each

worker.

Ergonomics checklist:

✓ What are the operator’s body movements

when performing operations?

✓ Is it easy to obtain and replace tools?

✓ Is the work being done at shoulder height?

✓ What are the locations and distances to part

bins and tool containers?

✓ Is lighting sufficient and adjustable?

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Containers, equipment, and

operating elements must be located

in the worker’s physiological range

of movement.

Reach zone for the smallest woman

(Body height group 1)

You can differentiate between three

reach zones at the workstation:

Area A: Center of work, two-handed zone

Area B: Large reach zone

Area C: Extended one-hand zone

1

2

3

Correct positioning of containers,

tools and material shuttles

minimizes unnecessary movement.

Adjustment of material

shuttles to the employee

Adjust as needed:

1: height

2: depth

3: angle

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C&D Zodiac Lean assembly line transition delivers 196% output increase

C&D Zodiac is a leading manufacturer of aircraft interior components. At their 75,000 square

foot Ontario facility, they decided to convert their passenger seat production line from a batch-

and-queue system to a one-piece, lean assembly line for just-in-time inventory control.

C&D Zodiac’s challenge

“When we used batch and queue, we had mountains of

sub-assembly parts everywhere on carts and shelves, but

we would never seem to have the actual parts we needed,”

says C&D industrial engineer Ryan Newham. “We would

build all of the seats up to a certain point and store them on

the floor waiting for the next step.”

Converting to a continuous flow line resulted in a 196% increase in airline seat production.

This would continually result in a hundred or more seats on

the production floor in various stages of construction. And

because the work-in-progress occupied so much floorspace,

it was often susceptible to inadvertent damage. The sheer

volume also made tracking production and maintaining

quality control problematic.

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Conversion to Lean

The line is now arranged so parts can be received at

the beginning and pieced together down the line. Each

passenger seat is constructed on a fixture that is attached

to an aluminum cart. The production line finishes right next

to the exit door for simple, immediate shipping.

Following lean principles, assembly work is equally divided

among the stations: each has precisely 18 minutes worth of

work.

The cart moves down the line from station to station where

various sub-assemblies are installed: armrests, food trays,

legs, spreaders, tubes, diaphragms, baggage bars, backs,

in-flight entertainment (IFE) components, and seat cushions.

Tool holders are designed and placed so retrieval is almost

instinctive. The tool rack presents the hand tools in a

natural, handle-first manner. It’s also modular, so it’s easy to

add or remove tools later on.

C & D Zodiac now has only eight or nine work-in-progress

chairs at any one time, instead of hundreds waiting for a

next step that might still be days away.

Converting to a continuous flow line resulted in a 196%

increase in airline seat production.

The new workcell, workstation and

process design

✓ Process: 211 steps using 311 parts

✓ Workcell: nine final assembly stations

and 10 sub-assembly stations

✓ Easily reconfigurable aluminum

assembly station carts

✓ Die-cast gusset connectors, adjustable

angle gusset kits, and end caps

✓ Ergonomic tool rails and tool holders

✓ Professional look with durable,

anodized structural framing

Outcomes

✓ Increased production rate by 196%

✓ Production: one seat every 18 minutes

✓ Improved quality control and oversight

✓ Work-in-progress inventory cut from

100 seats to less than 10

Tool holders hold all of the necessary hand tools in an ergonomic, handle-first, ready-to-use position.

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Valin lean manufacturing services

Do you need to streamline your material flow,

improve your ergonomics, or reduce the amount of

effort by people to move your product around?

Our lean experts can help you design, build and

install custom ergonomic workstations, material

handling systems, flow racks, lead assembly lines,

mobile carts or conveyor units.

Valin Headquarters

1941 Ringwood Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131

Phone: 800-774-5630

Fax: 408-730-1363

E-mail: customerservice@valin.com

Custom lean manufacturing workstation Lean workstation designed for a gene

sequencing company.

✓ Cleanroom-compatible with built-in

overhead HEPA filter system

✓ Custom 5S tool tray that has sensors to

indicate whether the tool is present

✓ Integrated overhead light indicates

what process the workstation is performing

and if there are any missing parts

✓ Modular system allows for future

product or line changes

MINI CASE-STUDY