Manufacturers of multiple products and product lines face a common problem: how to support parts replenishment for assembly lines. If you don’t do it right, parts aren’t available when needed, production plans falter, and customers aren’t happy.
A tractor manufacturer faced a similar challenge. They designed a common materials supermarket to support replenishment of parts to assembly lines manufacturing 3 series of vehicles (50+ models), and used simulation technology to test different replenishment methods for each of 5,000+ parts stored in the supermarket. Goals were:
(1) identify the number of docks needed, their location, and purpose to support smooth flow of materials in and out of the supermarket,
(2) determine manpower needs and specific tasks, and
(3) determine physical storage and staging space needed to minimize bottlenecks and maximize throughput.
MOSIMTEC simulated the process and recommended changes. Benefits included re-assignment of tasks to workers across the floor (savings of $240,000), elimination of 2 dock doors, and significant reduction of trailer processing times by relocating door locations. MOSIMTEC’s industrial engineers and data scientists do this every day to improve manufacturing efficiency for our clients every day.
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