Cellular Manufacturing

1
Cellular Manufacturing

• Tiffany Dundon
• Boise State University

2
What will be Covered

• Definition
• Brainstorming
• Nuts and Bolts
• Reported Benefits of Cellular Manufacturing
• How It Works
• Examples of Cellular Manufacturing
• An Exercise
• Conclusion

3
Cellular Manufacturing (CM) Defined

• 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.Online.
  Internet.Available at http//www.ciras.iastate.ed
  u/CIRASnews/cellular.html

4
Cellular Manufacturing Defined

• 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.Online.
  Internet.Available at http//www.ciras.iastate.ed
  u/CIRASnews/cellular.html

5
Brainstorming

• Brainstorm some ideas about cellular
  manufacturing
• How can this tool be used in your organization?

6
Nuts and Bolts

• Elimination of wastes by linking steps
• Waste is any resource not adding value to the
  product being manufactured
• In a cell, most work stations are close together
  so that little or no time is required to move
  parts

7
Nuts and Bolts

• Cell teams are cross trained in cell operations
• Continuous improvement
• Reduce lead times
• Remove waste
• Improve quality
• Product flow is more visible
• Easier control

8
Nuts and Bolts

• Primary purpose
• Reduce cycle time
• Reduce inventories
• Other benefits include
• Space reduction
• Quality improvement
• Labor cost reduction
• Improved machine utilization

9
Nuts and Bolts

• Human resource issues
• Proper training for operators
• Cross functional training
• Team building training for operators

10
Nuts and Bolts

• Human Resource issues
• Supervisors become coaches
• Compensation (incentives)
• Initial resistance of CM
• Cells need support

11
Reported Benefits of CM

• Production and Quality Control Cost 80
• Setup Time 69
• Throughput time 70
• Overdue orders 82

12
Reported Benefits of CM

• Raw Materials Inventory 42
• Finished Goods Inventory 60
• Employees Output per unit time 33
• Kok, Alvin Lim Hui. Time Based Manufacturing.
  Journal of Operations Management. 7 July 1999

13
How it Works

• Members of the plant team need to be involved in
  the changes
• Other functions need to be changed
• Production planning and control
• Purchasing
• Cost accounting

14
How it works

• Where do you begin?
• First, define the cells by the following
  criteria
• Processes required
• Part numbers and attributes
• Market segments / customers
• Degree of automation

15
How it Works

• Team selection is crucial
• Identify important skills needed such as teamwork
  and leadership skills
• Create a process map
• Develop a checklist for selecting members

16
How it Works

• Match skills to tasks
• Create a matrix to define who is best qualified
  for each task
• Develop team trust and motivation
• Manage team morale
• Encourage teamwork

17
Real World Example

• John Deere
• Integrated welding work cells
• Utilizes robotic welding processes
• Faster weld times
• Consistent welds
• Endurance

18
Real World Example

• John Deere
• Major benefits of CM
• Switching of welds is simple
• Factory has maximum flexibility
• Delivers higher quality
• Faster delivery

19
Real World Example

• Inscape
• Production divided into highly specialized
  cells
• Each cell contains equipment, technology and
  people
• Each cell can make a wide variety of family
  products

20
Real World Example

• Inscape
• Major benefits of CM
• Consistently high quality
• Flexibility for customers
• Quick changes in size and style
• Mass customization

21
A Short Exercise

• How is implementing CM useful in your
  organization?
• How will you define cells? Form teams? Motivate
  and develop trust? Change functions? Change the
  plant layout?

22
Summary

• CM based on a group of different processes
  located in close proximity to manufacture similar
  products
• You must first define the cells and then
  develop a team

23
Summary

• Training and support are key elements
• Many reported benefits to switching your
  organization to cellular manufacturing
• Reduce inventories, and more

24
References

• John Deere. State-of-the-art Robotic Welding.
  Online. Internet. 3 May 2002. Available at
  http//customer.com/en_za/ag/service/roboticweldin
  g.html
• Inscape Solutions. Cellular Manufacturing.
  Online. Internet. 29 April 2002. Available at
  http//www.inscapesolutions.com/products/cellular.
  html
• Kok, Alvin Lim Hui. Time Based Manufacturing.
  Journal of Operations Management. 7 July 1999
• Merryman, Wes. Cellular Manufacturing.Online.
  Internet.15 April 2002. Available at
  http//www.ciras.iastate.edu/CIRASnews/cellular.ht
  ml
• Patel, Jay. Cellular Manufacturing. Online.
  Internet. 10 April 2002. Available at
  http//qpsconsulting.com?cellularmanufacturing.htm