Top Ten Benefits of Fork Truck Free with One Piece Flow and Small Lot (repetitive) Delivery Improves Scalability

November 10, 2017 Fork Truck Free Info 3700 Views
  1. Improves safety by reducing motion, handling, and forklift movement. READ HERE.
  2. Improves quality by first defecting defects instead of creating a bad batch. READ HERE.
  3. Improves flexibility by shortening lead-times through processes (connected processes, smaller lot sizes). READ HERE.
  4. Improves scalability by making equipment that is efficient with smaller lot sizes. READ HERE.
  5. Reduces inventory by connecting processes and reducing lot sizes through quick changeover. READ HERE.
  6. Improves productivity by working on one thing at a time and cutting out wasted motion. READ HERE.
  7. Simplifies material replenishment by making the speed of material consumption steady and paced to a takt time. READ HERE.
  8. Frees up floor space by opening space used for inventory. READ HERE.
  9. Makes kaizen take root by exposing hidden problems and making them more visible. READ HERE.
  10. Improves morale by promoting cross-training and skill enhancement, as well as identifying and solving problems more quickly and reducing frustration. READ HERE.

Topper Industrial will use this blog to take a deep dive and look at this issue and benefits.

Quantifying One Piece Flow, Scalability and Fork Truck Free
One-piece flow equipment can be designed smaller, slower (paced to takt time), and generally at lower costs. Rather than making a process fast as technically possible, often resulting in local optimization and batch processing, very simple processes can be used.

In manufacturing, one piece flow is where a single piece is placed between workstations. There is usually minor variance in each workers’ cycle time that does not cause any waiting time. Optimally there should be an exceptionally high cycle balance between operations because the greater the number of pieces in each operation, the greater the variation in cycle times from operation to operation. This can result in overproduction and requires knowledge when to decrease the buffer between operations and increase the losses due to work times that are imbalanced.

While not simple, because one piece flow can be addressed per work cell, it is truly scalable. As mastery is achieved, it can be expanded to other work cells and eventually enterprise-wide.

Consistent capability requires consistent availability and application of resources including, but not limited to, people, equipment, and materials. One piece flow can be unsuccessful without consistent availability of these resources. Fork Truck Free trains of industrial carts can be a significant part of creating a methodology ensuring all materials are at the right work station at the right time with the right labor.

Achieving improved scalability from one piece flow is achieved with accurate takt time quantification. “Dynamic Lean Assessment for Takt Time Implementation” authors, Ahmed and Deif suggested that due to increasing volatility, global competitiveness, and sales crises, manufacturers are forced to commit to the journey of world-class manufacturing performance via adopting “lean systems” to enable economic success.

Ahmed and Deif argued that the journey to lean is one of the hardest steps in measuring the progress of lean policy. The model is based on system dynamics approach and presents a “leanness score” for the manufacturing system. In addition, it examines the dynamics associated with the application of “one-piece flow” concept via “takt time.” Results show that working on adjusting the system’s cycle times to follow takt time will improve the overall performance. Improvements are reflected in the overall service level, overall WIP efficiency, and overall equipment effectiveness. Only with these performance metrics, one piece flow and the utilization of Fork Truck Free solutions, will decision-makers adopt different lean policies and assist in optimal parameters settings of the system.

Topper Industrial (www.topperindustrial.com) is a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment. Topper provides lean material handling solutions to the supply chain.

Topper Industrial is able to engineer and design Industrial Carts (Mother / Daughter Cart Systems, Quad Steer Carts or Tracking Carts, Specialized Delivery Carts, Transfer Carts with Roller Deck, Static Carts, Rotation Carts, Tilt Carts or Kitting Carts), Industrial Cart Components (Parts Department), Industrial Containers (Corrugated and Wire Mesh Containers), PalletsLift/Tilt Systems, and Racking. Topper Industrial designs all products with ergonomics in mind, focusing on ease of use and best positioning of material to get the job done

.

Related articles