Colloquia

Summary

The main research question: Is it possible to redesign a department such that it becomes future-proof within an SME manufacturing company that is characterized by organic growth and make to order (MTO), high mix low volume (HMLV) manufacturing?

A case study has been conducted at Hankamp Gears B.V., located in Enschede.

The following new method has been used: analysis of historical production data; filtering articles of interest for the lathe department; arranging articles based on diameter and production numbers; minimizing the number of lathes needed to produce a large portion of production numbers; creating a specialistic cell with this minimized number of lathes; incorporate employees with questionnaires, interviews and interactive brainstorm sessions where employees could create their own layouts; identify machine couples and machine groups; make a programming script to generate layout outcomes based on set constraints; adjust outcomes of programmed layouts to reality; create 1 final layout and adjust rest of the workshop; simulate the chosen redesigned lathe layout with different scenarios; conclude the effects of changing the layout; advice and recommendation for the company

By executing the newly designed method, analyzing historical production data, using the input of the operators, programming, and simulating, it was concluded that it is possible to produce the same amount of products, in less time with fewer operators, thus making the redesigned layout future-proof. The simulation time of the redesigned layout with fewer operators showed a simulation time decrease of 18,7% (equal to a production rate increase of 23,0%) compared to the current situation (current layout and current number of operators).

The main advice and recommendations:

redesign lathe department based on the presented redesign in this thesis, which takes into account the wishes of operators, made machine couples, and made machine groups;

Create space for the new lathe department by moving other departments and machines;

Create an equally distributed hour distribution per machine group in the lathe department with Machine/Operator ratios of 3/2, 2/1, and 3/1;

Lathe operators should only operate lathes and no other machines (as is done in the current situation);

Prioritize the lathes in the created specialistic cell such that 91% of production numbers (which is 38% of all produced articles) can be produced with a diameter range of 10-150mm;

Stimulate knowledge transfer by documenting knowledge and by incorporating young and older lathe operators by letting them work together in shifts and by rotating the operators within shifts