In just three weeks MODEX 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia will start. Topper Industrial is focused on the correlation between Fork Truck Free (FTF) and improved productivity. Part of the educational session hosted by Topper Industrial (http://bit.ly/2ib2n1V) will look at improved productivity. More than 50 percent of all new distribution centers and manufacturing plants include a mission statement requiring that all new lines will be FTF. The need for creative, innovation solutions is in direct proportion with the demands of complexity, kitting, and efficiency while increasing safety, reducing line side inventory, delivering parts accurately, and increasing quality.
For manufacturers, throughput in production can mean the difference between meeting quotas and losing customers to the competition. Falling behind on manufacturing throughput means delayed deliveries, which can cause customers to find other, more timely suppliers.
Finding effective ways to increase throughput helps manufacturers meet their quotas and satisfy their customer. Before delving into tips for improving throughput, it’s important to note that there’s a difference between throughput and output. Basically, output is your total production, including scrap, rejections, and stockpiled products, while throughput only counts the parts that are successfully delivered and accepted by the customer.
Manufacturers reliably increase throughput and improve productivity in the fork truck free environment by eliminating material flow bottlenecks. One of the most effective ways to improve throughput in manufacturing and distribution is to carefully analyze production processes for bottlenecks. Once identified, production delays can be eliminated.
Some solutions add extra stations to a long process so that more parts can be processed at once. Other methodologies with industrial carts tugged to work cells result in a more efficient process and improved throughput. Optimally, it may be possible to even eliminate a process entirely and replace it with a different FTF alternative. The solution depends on factors such as spare floor space, expense of equipment involved, and the necessity of the process.
Productivity is defined as output per unit of input (productivity = output / input).
Productivity focuses on quantity produced, created, or completed. It is a measure of productive capacity of a machine, factory, industry, company, a team or an individual. Productivity is about cost and is linked to efficiency; it is not the same. Efficiency measures the amount of work done, regardless of how much completed product, efficiency is process-oriented.
Throughput is the rate of production or the rate at which something can be processed (throughput = output / duration).
Throughput is a measure of comparative effectiveness of a process or an operation, such as a count of items completed per month. It represents the rate of output and therefore quantifies how fast products are developed. Throughput is about cycle time (concept to release-to-production), measuring output per unit of time.
Cycle time is the count of working days between work starting (‘in progress’) and completed (‘done’) and is shown per item over time (cycle time = output per cycle / throughput).
Consistently, FTF environments offer better cycle times, better throughput, better efficiencies, and better productivity.
For further assistance and inquiries on Topper Industrial Material Handling Solutions, please contact sales@topperindustrial.com or visit www.topperindustrial.com.