Standardisering som grund till utveckling av enstycksflöde

Sammanfattning: Nimoverken is the world's largest producer of drying cabinets, located in Hova, Sweden. Drying cabinets are sold mainly in the Nordic countries and to a lesser degree to USA, England and South Korea, where drying cabinets are an increasing niche product on the market. Nimoverken has over 70 years of experience in the manufacture of sheet metal products. Nimoverken wishes to investigate the current situation and develop a more efficient work method. Demand for large drying cabinets has increased steadily in recent years and it is forecasted to continue to increase in the future. Nimoverken therefore has a desire to investigate whether it is possible to increase production capacity. To explore possibilities, an exploratory case study is conducted to investigate whether there are better, more efficient alternatives to their production system. During the preliminary analysis, which is based on observations and discussions with management and the operators, it emerged that standards were deficient at the assembly department for large drying cabinets. These standards are the basis for all forms of continuous improvement according to LEAN philosophy. The purpose of the report is therefore to produce proposals as a basis for a new standardized working method for the assembly department of large drying cabinets. The case study is limited to manual operations for the assembly department of large drying cabinets. The study lasts for a limited time, hence the delimitations in which product family is studied. Delimitation is formed according to production quantity analysis (PQ-analysis). The proportion of operations the product family undergoes is studied through product quantity process routing analysis (PQPR analysis), where products that are of higher quantity and routed through a larger proportion of operations are prioritized. Based on the basis of standardized work, proposals for a new layout based on method standard, production flow, material flow, and information flow have been investigated. The efficiency of a new layout with current and proposed standards are compared with the results of the current production strategy. The current production system meets only 78.2% of demand, which requires the deployment of extra staff than planned. Standards in production flow and material flow according to proposals minimize waste. Standards in information flow minimize necessary waste in the form of work-related conversations. Together, this represents a potential improved lead time of up to 27%. With this, the case study shows that implementing a documented standardized work method can provide direct benefits and form the basis for continuous improvements. By standardizing the work and balancing stations, the case study shows that with currently planned staffing an opportunity is given to meet today's demand and the ability to meet an increased customer demand of up to 40.8%. Suggestions given in the case study are the basis for future implementations. There are lots of possibilities that can shape a layout. The proposals studied in the case study are based on a holistic LEAN-perspective with the aim achieve one-piece flow.