Small and medium-size manufacturers (SMM’s) engaged in high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing are significantly different from assembly line manufacturers like Toyota. These manufacturers need to be
both Lean and Flexible. This can be achieved in part by using a facility layout methodology developed at The Ohio State University. A facility layout that maximizes the velocity of material flows through the facility is guaranteed to reduce the cost and delays due to the Seven Types of Waste (especially WIP, queues, transportation and operator motion).
Unfortunately, the methods for facility layout offered by Toyota (Value Stream Mapping, Physical Mock-ups, Spaghetti Diagrams, 5S) are cumbersome, slow and unable to handle the complexity of HMLV Lean. And, the methods taught by modern textbooks on facility layout (From-To Charts, Relationship Charts, Mathematical Programming) inapplicable or impractical in the real world. Therefore, this workshop was developed to teach proven ideas, methods and software tools for designing both Lean and Flexible facility layouts for high-mix low-volume multi-product multi-machine manufacturing facilities. It will show how to integrate the correct principles of facility design pioneered by Toyota with new software based on the method of Production Flow Analysis (PFA) developed by Prof. John L. Burbidge in the UK in the early 1970’s.
This workshop will benefit industry practitioners who are:
- Adapting and enhancing the standard Lean best practices for the more challenging case of high-mix low-volume multi-product multi-machine manufacturing facilities
- Replacing manual methods, such as Value Stream Mapping and Flow Diagrams, with more effective computer-aided methods that can handle a product mix with 250-500 (or even more) different manufacturing routings
- Building a new facility and wish to get the facility layout correct at the outset
- Re-arranging/expanding the existing facility
- Re-locating the existing facility into another building
- Consolidating two or more facilities into one location
- Purchasing flexible manufacturing equipment to replace 2-3 existing machines
- Installing a flexible manufacturing cell and wish to identify a family of parts that could potentially be produced in this cell
- Determining how to diversify and rationalize the product mix without introducing chaos and complexity into current operations
This workshop will benefit university faculty who are:
- Discover how Lean enriches textbook theory on facility layout
- Evaluate new “revisionist” theory on facility layout that was inspired by Lean, especially algorithms that use routings (or an entire Bill Of Routings for a large product) as input instead of From-To Charts
- Evaluate PFAST (Production Flow Analysis and Simplification Toolkit) as a front-end software to complement standard block layout software for facility layout
- Link facility layout and material flow to problems in Manufacturing Engineering, such as selection of flexible automation, process planning, product mix rationalization, etc.
- Obtain lectures on facility layout that contain case studies and exercises derived from numerous industry projects
Software Requirements for this Workshop
To obtain the two software packages that will be used for this workshop:
- Demo version of PFAST: Send me a blank CD in a self-addressed mailer. Else, if your email system will allow attachments containing .exe files, send me an email at irani.4@osu.edu and I will send you the program files as an attachment.
- Student version of STORM (with manual): It is available for purchase at
http://www.directtextbook.com/editions/hamilton-emmons-storm-4-0 or http://www.crowncustompublishing.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?cart_id=1130078929.19593&product=Books&pid=32). However, the out-of-print book – Emmons, H., Flowers, A.D., Khot, C.M. and Mathur, K. (2001). STORM 4.0: Quantitative Modeling for Decision Support. Euclid, OH: Lakeshore Communications – is a superior self-study manual for using this software.
Since the demo version of PFAST is free and the student version of PFAST costs less than $100, I love this cheap but functional toolkit for teaching facility layout and executing industry projects!
This CD is based on work done for the Flexible Forge Shop Design project(
http://fdmc.aticorp.org/) funded by the Defense Logistics Agency and the Forging Defense Manufacturing Consortium (FDMC) managed by the Advanced Technology Institute.
Return to Facility Layout and JobshopLean using Production Flow Analysis page
