Introduction to Flow Manufacturing

Course Outcomes

This course is designed for a target audience of Production Management / Planning and Logistics Personnel, Process / Industrial Engineering Staff. It will provide a detailed framework around which the participant can usefully put into practice the aims and objectives of Flow Manufacturing, an element of the Agile Factory.

It demonstrates the principles underlining the move towards flow manufacturing adopted throughout the world to achieve productivity increases, operating cost reductions, quality improvements, and shortened lead-times in order to stay competitive. Many companies have chosen the tools of flow manufacturing as a solution to these challenges. Products coming from flow manufacturers are delivered on-time with the highest quality and lowest cost.

The course shows the steps required to produce actions which reduce operating costs as a result of:

• Total Quality Management (TQM) activities that improve process quality, reduce scrap, rework and warranty costs.
• Inventory reduction resulting from shortened manufacturing lead time.
• Operator empowered asset care which results in dramatic improvements in equipment up-time, quality, change over time and maintenance cost reduction