Redesigning a Mass Manufacturing System to Achieve TodayTMs–

In world where product life cycles are decreasing, and customers are demanding they receive high quality products in a timely manner; traditional 'mass' based production techniques based on hard automation are becoming uncompetitive. Mass production systems are unable to accommodate frequent model changes in an economic and timely fashion. One promising alternative to solving these problems is a linked-cell manufacturing system. In this paper, the design processes of a 'lean' manufacturing plant that will replace the current 'mass' type plant of a major automotive supplier are presented. Design decision criteria associated with these conversion processes are illustrated according to a set of 'lean manufacturing principles'. Financial justification is achieved by comparing the two systems in terms of operating costs.