1. Cellular Manufacturing and Plant Layout Superfactory Excellence Program™ www.superfactory.com
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

2. Disclaimer and Approved use
The files in the Superfactory Excellence Program by Superfactory Ventures LLC (“Superfactory”) are intended for use in training individuals within an organization. The handouts, tools, and presentations may be customized for each application.
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Approved Use
Each copy of the Superfactory Excellence Program can be used throughout a single Customer location, such as a manufacturing plant. Multiple copies may reside on computers within that location, or on the intranet for that location. Contact Superfactory for authorization to use the Superfactory Excellence Program at multiple locations.
The presentations and files may be customized to satisfy the customer’s application.
The presentations and files, or portions or modifications thereof, may not be re-sold or re-distributed without express written permission from Superfactory.
Current contact information can be found at:
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

3. Outline Fundamentals of layout Process Product Fixed Hybrid
Cellular Manufacturing
Characteristics
Implementing Cells
Part Families
Production Flow Analysis
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

4. What is the Facility Layout Problem?
Concerned with arrangement of machines, cells, or departments.
Often computationally difficult.
A decision is both quantitative & qualitative.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

5. Why is the Layout Problem Difficult?
It has geometric and combinational aspects.
Jig-saw puzzle.
Difficult picture
No picture
No shapes
Goal: Minimize material handling costs.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

6. Effective Facility Layout
Minimize material handling costs
Utilize space efficiently & effectively
Utilize labor efficiently & effectively
Eliminate bottlenecks
Eliminate wasted or redundant movement
Incorporate safety & security measures
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

7. Basic Layouts There are three basic types of layouts: Process Product
Fixed-position
There are two hybrid types of layouts
Flexible and Mixed-Model manufacturing systems
Cellular
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

8. Process Layout Process layouts (functional layouts)
Definition – A layout that groups similar activities together in departments of work centers according to process or functions that they perform.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

9. Characteristics of Process layout
Goal – To minimize material handling cost
Product – Varied made to order
Demand – Fluctuates
Production volume – low (custom products)
Inventory – High in process
- Low in finished goods
Storage Space – relatively large
Aisles – tend to be wide
Material handling – variable path (forklift)
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

10. Characteristics Layout decision – machine location based
Workers tend to be skilled at operating the equipment in their departments
Intermittent, job shop, batch production, mainly fabrication
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

11. Process Layout Lathe Lathe Drill Weld Weld Lathe Drill Paint Paint
Warehouse
Warehouse
Mill
Mill
Grind
Assembly
Mill
Mill
Grind
Assembly
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

12. Process-Oriented Layout
Department areas having similar processes located in close proximity
Design places departments with large flows of material or people together
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

13. Process Layout - Advantages
Better utilization of machines
Fewer machines required
High degree of flexibility relative to equipment or manpower allocation for specific tasks
Comparatively low investment in machines is required
The diversity of the task offers a more interesting and satisfying occupation for the operator
Specialized supervision is possible
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

14. Process Layout Characteristics
Advantages
Deep knowledge of the process
Common tooling and fixtures
Most Flexible -- can produce many different part types
Disadvantages
Spaghetti flow -- everything gets all tangled up
Lots of in-process materials
Hard to control inter-department activities
Can be difficult to automate
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

15. Process Layout - Limitations
Since longer flow lines usually result, material handling is more expensive
Production planning and control systems are more involved
Total production time is usually longer
Comparatively large amounts of in-process inventory results
Space and capital are tied up by work-in-process
Because of the diversity of the jobs in specialized departments, higher grades of skill are required
Inefficient
Because jobs or customers do not flow through in an orderly fashion; backtracking is common.
Idling
Workers may experience more “idle time” if they are waiting around for more work to arrive from a different department.
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

16. Impact of Interruptions on Flow Paths
Lathe
Drill
Grind
Drill
Press
Bend
Drill
Mill
Mill
Drill
Drill
Mill
Lathe
Lathe
Mill
Drill
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

17. Designing Process Layouts
The main goal to keep in mind is to minimize material handling costs
Therefore the departments that incur the most interdepartmental movement should be located closest to one another
Two types of design layouts
Block diagramming
Relationship diagramming
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

18. Block Diagramming
This refers to the movement of materials in existing or proposed facility
Information is usually provided with a from/to chart or load summary chart
This gives the average number of units loads moved between departments
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19. Block Diagramming
A unit load can be a single unit, a pallet of material a bin of material, or a crate of material
Material is constantly moving from location to location
The next step is to design the layout by calculating the composite movements between departments and rank them from most movement to least movement
Composite movement refers to the back-and-forth movement between each pair of departments
Finally, trial layouts are place on a gird that graphically represents the relative distances between departments.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

20. Relationship Diagramming
For situations in which quantitative date is hard to obtain it is more relevant to use a relationship diagramming technique
Richard Muther developed a format for displaying manger preferences for departmental locations, know as Muther’s grid
Muther’s diagram uses codes and letter to represent how close departments are to one another
The information from Muther’s diagram can be used to make a relationship diagram to evaluate a current layout or proposed layouts
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

21. Computerized Layout Solutions
Several computer programs exist that assist in designing process layouts
The best known are CRAFT (Computerized Relative Allocation of Facilities Technique) and CORELAP (Computerized Relationship Layout Planning)
Basically the computer program is given layout date and then makes a recommendation
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

22. Service Layouts
Most Service organizations use process layouts because of the variability in customer requests for service
Service organizations look to maximize profits per unit of display space, rather than minimize customer flow
The layout must be aesthetically pleasing we well as functional
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

23. Process in Manufacturing firms
Process layouts require flexible material handling equipment (such as forklifts) which can follow multiple paths and carry large loads of in-process goods
All areas of the facility must have timely access to the material handling equipment
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

24. The Product Layout Definition
A facility layout that arranges activities in a line according to the sequence of operations that need to be performed to assemble a product, while minimizing material handling costs.
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25. History of the Product Layout
Frederick Winslow Taylor.
Work should be broken into individual tasks.
Those tasks can be shortened or eliminated.
Frank Gilbreth - Time study techniques.
Work combined led to maximum efficiency in industrial work.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

26. History
Henry Ford
Boosted recognition for Taylor and Gilbreth’s ideas.
Increased productivity on his Model T by pulling the car through the plant at a constant speed while workers added accumulated parts.
Production time decreased from 12 hours and 8 minutes to 1 hour and 33 minutes.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

27. History
In the 1920’s manufacturers moved away from assembly lines to gain flexibility in their products.
The Product Layout came back into style as a form called Flow Manufacturing emerged in the 1970’s.
The Product Layout is still popular today.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

28. Product Layouts Most appropriate for continuous operations.
Used for products with high volume and steady demand.
Machines perform a singular, specialized task.
Machines are organized consecutively.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

29. Product Layout Lathe Drill Grind Drill Press Bend Drill Warehouse
Assembly
Mill
Drill
Lathe
Lathe
Drill
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

30. Product Layout Part #1 L L M D G A A Receiving L M G Part #2 L M D
Shipping
Part #3
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

31. Product Requirements Standardized product High production volume
Stable production quantities
Uniform quality of raw materials & components
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

32. Product-Oriented Layout - Assumptions
Volume is adequate for high equipment utilization
Product demand is stable enough to justify high investment in specialized equipment
Product is standardized or approaching a phase of its life cycle that justifies investment in specialized equipment
Supplies of raw materials and components are adequate and of uniform quality ensure they will work with specialized equipment
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

33. Product-Oriented Layout Types
Assembly Line
Assembles fabricated parts
Uses workstation
Repetitive process
Paced by tasks
Balanced by moving tasks
Fabrication Line
Builds components
Uses series of machines
Machine paced
Balanced by physical redesign
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

34. Line Configuration The flow of products is continuous along a line.
Linear pattern.
“L” pattern.
“U” shape.
Snake shape.
Shape determines workers flexibility.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

35. Product Layout - Advantages
Layout corresponds to the sequence of operations, smooth and logical flow lines result
Work from one process is fed directly into the next, small in-process inventories result
Total production time per unit is short
Machines are located as to minimize distances between consecutive operations, material handling is reduced
Little skill is usually required by operators at the production line; hence, training is simple, short and inexpensive
Simple production planning and control systems are possible
Less space is occupied by work in transit and for temporary storage
Lower variable cost per unit
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

36. Product Layout - Advantages
Stable rate of output.
Work-in-process inventory is low.
Total production time/unit is reduced.
Space is effectively utilized.
Narrow aisles.
Labor pool is large.
Single skilled.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

37. Product Layout - Limitations
A breakdown of one machine may lead to complete stoppage of the line that follows that machine
Since the layout is determined by the product, a change in product design may require major alterations in the layout
The “pace” of production is determined by the slowest machine
Supervision is general
Comparatively high investment is required, as identical machines (a few not fully utilized) are sometimes distributed along the line
Lack of flexibility
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

38. Product Layout - Disadvantages
If one machine fails the whole process stops.
Changes in product design can render the layout obsolete.
Bottlenecks govern the speed.
Large support staff required.
High fixed costs.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

39. Product Layouts - Now & Then
Traditional
Top priority: Line balancing.
Inventory buffers.
Planned by admin. staff.
“L” shaped lines.
Conveyor movement.
New Focus
Top priority: flexibility.
Preventive maintenance
Shop supervisor designs and adjusts.
“U” shaped lines.
Stations are close together.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

40. Designing Product Layouts
Main Objective: Arrange workers and machines in a line according to the operations that need to be performed.
It isn’t always that simple.
Line balancing.
Line balancing software:
COMSOAL - IBM
ASYBL - GE
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

41. Line Balancing Equalizes amount of work at each station.
Constraints in Line Balancing.
Precedence Requirements
The order in which operations need to take place.
Cycle Time
Maximum time a product can be at a station.
A guess and check process.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

42. Fixed-Position Layouts
The product remains stationary for the entire manufacturing cycle.
Equipment, workers, materials, and other resources are brought to the production site.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

43. Fixed-Position Layouts
When is it used?
Fixed-Position layouts are used in projects in which the product cannot be moved.
It is typical of projects in which the product produced is:
too fragile
bulky
heavy to move
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

44. Fixed-Position Layouts
Characteristics of the process:
Equipment
Low equipment utilization:
idle equipment at location
it will be needed again in a few days
Equipment is leased or subcontracted
it is used for limited periods of time
Workers
Highly skilled at performing special tasks
High wage rates
Cost breakdown for fixed-position layouts:
Fixed Cost:
relatively low (equipment may not be owned by the company)
Variable Cost
High (due to high labor rates and the cost of leasing and moving equipment.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

45. Fixed-Position Layout - Advantages
Material movement is reduced
Promotes job enlargement by allowing individuals or teams the perform “whole job”
Continuity of operations and responsibility results from team
High flexibility; can accommodate changes in product design, product mix, and production volume
Independent of production centers allows scheduling to achieve minimum total production time
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

46. Fixed-Position Layout - Limitations
Increased movement of personnel and equipment
Equipment duplication may occur
Higher skill requirements for personnel
General supervision required
Cumbersome and costly positioning of material and machinery
Low equipment utilization
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

47. Factors Complicating a Fixed Position Layout
Limited space
Coordinating service providers in sequence, on time, on schedule, and with other activities occurring concurrently
Volume of materials changes often
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

48. Fixed Position Layout Lathe Press Grind Warehouse Warehouse Paint
Drill
Assembly
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

49. Hybrid Layouts Flexible & Mixed-Model Manufacturing
High level of complexity
Mathematically intensive
Cellular Manufacturing
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

50. Cellular Manufacturing
“Cellular Manufacturing organizes the entire process for similar products into a group of team members, includes all the necessary equipment and is known as a "Cell".
 Merryman, Wes. Cellular Manufacturing
The basic definition is: “Cellular Manufacturing organizes the entire process for similar products into a group of team members, includes all the necessary equipment and is known as a "Cell".
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

51. Cellular Manufacturing
“…The cells are arranged to easily facilitate all operations.  Parts are handed off from operation to operation eliminating setups and unnecessary costs  between operations.”
Merryman, Wes. Cellular Manufacturing
And to finish the definition: “…The cells are arranged to easily facilitate all operations.  Parts are handed off from operation to operation eliminating setups and unnecessary costs  between operations.”
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

52. Introduction to Cellular Manufacturing
The cellular approach is to organize the entire manufacturing process for particular or similar products into one group of team members and machines known as a "Cell".
These "cells" are arranged in a U-shaped layout to easily facilitate a variety of operations.
Parts or assemblies move one at a time (or in small batch sizes).
The parts are handed off from operation to operation without opportunity to build up between operations.
The process we describe here can be used for any situation you face. When you are using the process to select a strategy, the decision statement is the goal and the criteria comes from the cultural success factors and obstacles. The alternatives are the different approaches that are available to you.
This logic path assures objectivity and ensures that we cover all essential data.
Making good decisions depends on the quality of our:
Selection of a goal that describes the decision,
Definition of the specific factors that must be satisfied,
Evaluation of the available alternatives, and
Our understanding of the consequences of those alternatives.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

53. Introduction to Cellular Manufacturing
Fast setup and quick changeovers are essential to Cellular Manufacturing systems since production runs are shorter.
Setup reduction principles are used to achieve one piece flow and mixed model synchronization.
All cells concentrate on eliminating waste.
The process we describe here can be used for any situation you face. When you are using the process to select a strategy, the decision statement is the goal and the criteria comes from the cultural success factors and obstacles. The alternatives are the different approaches that are available to you.
This logic path assures objectivity and ensures that we cover all essential data.
Making good decisions depends on the quality of our:
Selection of a goal that describes the decision,
Definition of the specific factors that must be satisfied,
Evaluation of the available alternatives, and
Our understanding of the consequences of those alternatives.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

54. Group Technology / Cellular Layout
Lathe
Drill
Grind
Drill
Warehouse
Press
Lathe
Lathe
Drill
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
Assembly
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

55. Work Cells - Advantages
Increased machine utilization
Team attitude and job enlargement tend to occur
Compromise between product layout and process layout, with associated advantages
Supports the use of general purpose equipment
Shorter travel distances and smoother flow lines than for process layout
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

56. Work Cells - Advantages
Reduced work-in-process inventory
Less floor space required
Reduced raw material and finished goods inventories required
Reduced direct labor costs
Heightened sense of employee participation
Increased utilization of equipment machinery
Reduced investment in machinery and equipment
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

57. Work Cells - Limitations
General supervision is required
Higher skill levels required of employees than for product layout
Compromise between product and process layout, with associated limitations
Depends on balanced material flow through the cell; otherwise, buffers and work-in-process storage are required
Lower machine utilization than for process layout
Involve people most knowledgeable about the process
Define process symbols
Try to involve anyone who has knowledge of the process. Implementation and ownership are enhanced when people doing the process are involved in the charting and opportunity identification.
Fewer people can do it faster - but they may not be as effective. This is the standard efficiency vs. effectiveness issue. Meetings cost money. Trained facilitators are invaluable in getting this process started.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

58. Empowered Employees in Cells
Goals and tracking charts are maintained and posted.
Problems are solved through daily cell meetings and problem solving teams.
The inventory management system is a KANBAN Demand Pull instead of a work order/kit picking system.
Cells are responsible for planning, scheduling and expediting directly with vendors.
They establish and maintain a KANBAN system with the vendors.
The decision is stated in terms of a goal which directs the search for solutions in positive ways. A confused and unfocused group starts getting organized by concentrating on the goal of the solution, not on the solution itself.
In the planning process, the goal is a given, but that is not always the case. Too often we believe the decision statement is a given. In fact, the reason for our decision is essential to opening the search for a good solution. Goals direct the search for positive ways. Ostensibly expand our goal; then create a hierarchy of goals or decision statements.
Compose the decision statement using an action verb, an object and an adjective. The action verb should be prescriptive and concerned with the total set of conditions (for example, to select, choose, determine, have, establish, provide) as opposed to verbs that indicate a measurement of change or incremental goals (to increase, reduce, minimize). The adjectives modify or constrain. They reduce the range of possible solutions with a limitation.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

59. Advanced Cellular Manufacturing
The cell operates like an independent business with total responsibility for quality, manufacturing and delivery of the product to the customer.
All cells have the resources within their organization to accomplish their mission.
The requirements are known and goals are established.
Cell members are flexible and work in teams to accomplish their goals including continuous improvement.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

60. Creating Cells First, define the “cells” by the following criteria:
Processes required
Part numbers and attributes
Market segments / customers
Degree of automation
Good intuition
Careful study
Group Technology (GT)
Production Flow Analysis (PFA)
So where do you start when implementing CM?
The first thing that must be done is to define the cell you plan to create. Criteria for defining the cell would be based on :
Processes required
Part numbers and attributes (such as size, shape, raw materials required)
Market segments / customers
Degree of automation
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

61. Creating Cells Team selection is crucial
Identify important skills needed such as teamwork and leadership skills
Create a process map
Develop a checklist for selecting members
Team selection is crucial to the implementation of cellular manufacturing.To help identify who is best to include in your team, identify the skills required for each step by creating a process map. Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the roles you need fulfilled.
Once the skills are identified, determine the potential team members.
Both objective and technical skills criteria should be established, including skills in: teamwork, Interpersonal skills, Leadership skills, Change adaptation, Positive thinking
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

62. Part Family Formation Various levels – macro and micro
Macro – entire factories (focused factories) can specialize in a particular type of part
Micro – families can be based on similarities in part geometry (group shafts, flat parts, gears, etc…), process requirements (castings, forgings, sheet metal parts, heat-treated parts, printed circuit boards)
How are these groupings determined?
Coding
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

63. Finding Part Families
Visual Inspection of physical parts or photographs to identify similarities.
Coding and Classification of parts by examining design and/or manufacturing attributes.
OPITZ System
MICLASS System
Here a code is assigned to specific features of the part.
Is the part cylindrical or prismatic ?
Does it have threads?
Does it have through slots?
Does it require heat treatment?
This requires a large initial time investment in coding and classifying all parts.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

64. Finding Part Families
Production Flow Analysis : Since the parts in a part family have similar manufacturing processes, it is possible to identify similar parts by studying the route sheets.
Parts with similar routes can be grouped into families.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

65. Production Flow Analysis
PFA is a technique that uses Operation Routing Summaries as input. It clusters the parts that require the same processes. These parts can then be assembled into a part family. The processes can be grouped into a cell to minimize material handling requirements.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

66. PFA - Organizational View
Production Flow Analysis consists of 5 different analyses:
Company Flow Analysis
Factory Flow Analysis
Group Analysis
Line Analysis
Tooling Analysis
PFA defined by Prof. Burbidge in 1971
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

67. Company Flow Analysis
A Planning technique used for the division of large companies into factory components. It aims to simplify the flow of materials between factories.
Uses FROM-TO charts and frequency charts and a flow analysis (similar to the one discussed in slides 29 – 41).
Is not a decision making model, but presents data in a way that decisions can be made based on a company’s goal.
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

68. Factory Flow Analysis
An attempt is made at this stage to find major groups of departments, and major families of components which can be completely processed in these departments.
The Goal is to change factories from process organization to product organization and to minimize interdepartmental material flow
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

69. Factory Flow Analysis - Methodology
Study and map the existing flow system
Identify the dominant material flows between shops (or buildings)
Determine the Process Route Number (PRN) for each part
Analyze the part by PRN.
Combine closely associated processes at departments that complete most of the parts they make
If parts are observed to backtrack then such flows are eliminated by minor redeployment of equipment
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

70. Group Analysis
The flows in each of the individual shops (identified by FFA) are analyzed.
Operation sequences of the parts that are being produced in a particular shop are analyzed to identify manufacturing cells.
Loads are calculated for each part family to obtain the equipment requirements for each cell
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

71. Group Analysis
Essentially, while forming and rearranging the PFA matrix we were performing Group Analysis.
Those same algorithms are also employed in PFA activities other than Group Analysis (namely CFA, FFA etc..)
Choice of algorithm or technique that is best suited is, for the most part, a problem specific issue
© 2004 Superfactory™. All Rights Reserved.

72. Line Analysis
A linear or U-layout is designed for the machines assigned to each cell.
The routings for each part assigned to the cell and the frequency of use of each routing are used to develop a cell for:
Efficient transport
Minimum material handling and travel by operators.
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73. Tooling Analysis
A Tooling Analysis helps to schedule the cell by identifying families of parts with similar operation sequences, tooling and setups.
It seeks to sequence parts on each machine to sequence all the machines in the cell to reduce setup times and batch sizes.
This increases available machine capacity on bottleneck work canters in the cell.
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74. PFA: Assumptions Each component is equally important in terms of cost
Lot size & its associated cost are not directly related to grouping procedure
Routing is assumed to be optimal
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75. PFA: Advantages Reduces flow distances
Better suited to JIT and “pull” manufacturing as the overall flow is much straighter
Simple and Easy to implement
Experience: Lots of Research and Background and support software
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76. PFA: Weakness
PFA is suitable mostly for small-sized applications, but it has difficulties coping with some large cell formation problems when the Machine-Part Matrix becomes more complex because of problem size
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