Flow Manufacturing

Whether you’re in a continuous flow, batch assembly, or process environment, this programme is intended as a step towards agile manufacturing.

It demonstrates, in practical steps, 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 programme 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
• Improved resource and floor space utilisation through the elimination of waste and unnecessary inventory.

The course is designed to be run as a facilitated activity requiring moderate participant interaction. The training is designed to run over 3 days full time or 1 day per week over 4 weeks attendance.

This course divided into the following modules:

Module 1 - Introduction to Flow Processing

• What is Flow Processing?
• Flow Processing involves more than the factory.
• Where does Flow Processing come from? Some historical references.
• Why do companies embrace Flow Processing? Benefits of Flow Processing
• Introductory overview of the steps to implement a Multi-Product Flow Processing Line

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Module 2 - The Process Flow Diagram (PFD)

• What is a Process? Definition. Line design implications.
• What is a PFD? Definition
• The PFD as a relationship of work and time
• The multi product PFD

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Module 3 - The Process Flow Map

• What to document in a Process Flow Map
• Organizing the Product-Process relationships
• The Product family. Process design implications.
• The Process Cell. First definition.

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Module 4 - The Standard Work Definition (SWD)

• Documenting the work elements in a process
• How to complete the SWD
• Assigning standard times to work elements
• Identifying resources, tools, materials, and material quantities to work elements
• Documenting Total Quality Management (TQM) criteria per work element
• Defining “Self-Checks” and “TQM checks”
• Using the TQM information to achieve parts-per-million quality in workmanship
• The SWD as a training document
• The graphic work instruction

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Module 5 - Designing the Processes for a Forecasted Volume

• Different Sales volume patterns
• Summarizing volumes per family and for the line
• Understanding Forecasted Volume

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Module 6 - Take time

• The Process’s target rate
• Calculations

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Module 7 – Calculation of Required Resources

• The Process’s target rate
• Calculations

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Module 8 – Designing Multi-Product Flow Processing Lines

• Formulas
• Understanding the Weighted Average Standard Time
• Interpreting the results
• Are the resources balanced against Takt?

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Module 9 – Process Balancing

• Elimination of waste
• Relocation of work
• Addition of resources:
  • Labour
  • Machines
  • Batch Machines
• Addition of Inventory
  • The In-Process Kanban
  • Formulas
  • Management

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Module 10 – Potential Process Configurations and Process Takt time

• Feeders
• Independent Processes
• Split Processes
• Fan
• Options
• Loop Back

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Module 11 – Realities of manufacturing that impact Takt time

• Recoverable yield (rework)
• Non recoverable yield (scrap)
• Optional processes
• Over sizing processes

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Module 12 – Creating the Conceptual Line/Process Design

• The Process’s target rate
• Calculations

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Module 13 – Materials Kanban

• Definitions
• The mechanics of Kanban
• Different types of Kanban
• Two-bin and one time use Kanban
• Kanban signaling
• Materials management in Flow Processing
• Kanban calculations and examples

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Module 14 – Managing the Flow Processing Line

• Managing a multi-product flow processing line with variable volumes
• Employee flexing
• Flow based response time
• Flow processing planning
• Process sequencing

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