2. 2
Introduction & Concept
Cellular Manufacturing is
a model for workplace
design, and has become
an integral part of lean
manufacturing systems
Cellular Manufacturing
takes full advantage of
the similarity between
parts, through
standardization and
common processing and
groups them into cell.
The goal of cellular
manufacturing is the
aggressive minimization
of waste, to achieve
maximum efficiency of
resources.
The basic concept of
cellular manufacturing is
the integration of
management practices
with technological
a dvances
3. CELLULAR MANUFACTURING
3
Cellular Manufacturing is the
application of the principles of
Group Technology in
manufacturing. Group
Technology was proposed by
Flanders in 1925 and adopted
in Russia by Mitrofanov in
1933.
Successfully implementing
Cellular manufacturing allows
companies to achieve cost
savings and quality
improvements, especially
when combined with the other
aspects of lean manufacturing.
4. CELLULAR MANUFACTURING
It is having the flexibility to
produce a high variety of low
demand products, while
maintaining the high
productivity of large scale
production.
Cell designers achieve this
through both process design
and product design. Processes
are arranged in a U-shape so
that the beginning and end of
the material flow within the cell
are near each other. This
allows quick rebalancing of
tasks without redesigning
stations.
4
6. 6
Cellular Manufacturing
One Piece Flow
One-piece flow is the state
that exists when products
move through a
manufacturing process one
unit at a time, at a rate
determined by the needs of
the customer.
The important thing is to
promote continuous flow of
products, with the least
amount of delay and
waiting
The opposite of one-piece
flow is large-lot
production. Goods
produced in large lots
build delays into the
process .No items can
move on to the next
process until all items in
the lot have been
processed .
The larger the lot, the
longer the items sit
and wait between
steps.
8. 8
Operations &Processes
To improve production, it
is not enough to improve
operations Companies
must also improve their
processes.
A particular cell is made
up of the team members
and the equipment that is
required to follow the
steps in manufacturing of
the product.
Improving a process
involves streamlining the
flow of materials to
minimize obstacles and
wastes such as:
Time spent in non-value-adding
steps
Such as waiting and
transport
Downtime caused by
changeover and
adjustments
9. EXAMPLE:
Consider a problem of 4 machines and 6 parts.
Try to group them.
Machines 1 2 3 4 5 6
M1 1 1 1
M2 1 1 1
M3 1 1 1
M4 1 1 1
9 9
Components
11. Benefits of Cellular Manufacturing
1. Flow times are reduced
2. Saves process time
3. Reduction in inventories
4. Rush orders can be produced without much
problems
5. Employees feel empowered & derive job
satisfaction
6. Multiple operations get done in a single cell
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12. Limitations of Cellular Manufacturing
1. Issues like placement of bottleneck
machines are need to be addressed during
cell formation
2. Machines may require their own individual
stocks of materials
3. Inadequacies in employee education,
training & involvement could come in the
way of proper implementation
12
14. CELL DEVELOPMENT
Following points will be covered under this topic :
Cluster cells design technique
Clustering Schematics
CMS Facility
Working in a U-shaped Cell
Becoming Multiskilled
Using Small Flexible Machines
Autonomation
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15. CLUSTERING TECHNIQUES :
-The Fundamental Issue in Cell Development
The cell is made up of workers and the
equipment required to create the product
The layout of the equipment and the
workstations is determined by the logical
sequence of production.
Parts are clustered to build part families
Part Families visit cells
Part Families share set-up ideas and
equipment and follow similar process
routing
15
16. CLUSTERING TECHNIQUES :
The Fundamental Issue in Cell Development
Machines are clustered to build cells:
Cells lead to Flow Mathematics.
Cells contain all equipment needed to produce
apart family
Joining machining technologies with tooling
and setup technologies and combining them
with people skills and positive management ,
can all result in a very good manufacturing
environment.
Each cell should work towards its own goals
and keep contact with other cells to the
minimum
16 16
17. 17 17
Building the CMS Facility
Before
Clustering
After
Clustering
19. 19 19
Operating In a U-shaped Cell
Changing from an operation-based layout to
manufacturing cells will change how people do their
work in the factory
In a cell, the equipment and workstations are
arranged close together in sequence of processing
step
Reduce unnecessary walking and transport to
promote flow
The equipment in a cell is laid out in a curved shape
The operator’s path is like a U or C
These shapes bring the end point of the process
close to the beginning point.
21. Becoming Multiskilled/ Multimachine Operators
• Creating a manufacturing cell often changes the
relationship between people and machines in the
workplace
• Operators may need to learn how to run different types
of equipment to support the process
• In cells where automatic machines are used, most of the
operator’s time is spent watching the equipment run
– Such waste is avoided by teaching people to operate
several different machines in the process
– Operators can be setting up a workpiece for step 2
while step 1 machine is processing another
workpiece
• A cell may be run by one person or several people
depending on the size of the cell, cycle times, or
production volume.
21 21
23. Cross-Training for Maximum Flexibility
• Cross-training enables employees to perform different
functions within a process and lets teams take full
responsibility for their processes.
• Operator trained on several machines is qualified to
respond to changes in production needs by performing
different tasks
– This versatility makes employees more valuable to
their teams and to their companies
• Cross-training is a source of employee pride in many
workplaces
• Visual display charts are often used to recognize
people’s skill attainment in a public way.
23 23
24. Moving with The Work
• Running several machines in sequence
– An operator needs to work standing up rather
than sitting down
24
• To assist one-piece flow manufacturing
– People stand and walk so that work moves
smoothly through the process
• Working while standing
– Enables people to respond more quickly if
machine problems occur
25. Using Small, Flexible Machines
A cellular manufacturing process may use equipment
different from that used in large-lot production
Works best with machines that are smaller and often
slower than large-lot equipment
Smaller machines save space Placing them close
together reduces walking distance
25 25
They are less expensive
Slower machines are appropriate can produce one
piece at a time at a speed determined by customer
requirements
26. Using Autonomation (Jidoka) to Eliminate
26
Machine Watching
• Autonomation - an approach to automation that gives
equipment “intelligence” so people don’t have to monitor
automatic operation
• “Autonomated” machines are semi-automatic machines
that autonomously (independently) support one-piece flow
processing. Many companies invest in automation because :
– Stop and signal when a cycle is complete or when
problems occur
– Often set up to unload automatically after processing
– Do not have to be tended
– People don’t have to perform difficult, dangerous, or
repetitive work
27. Equipment and workstations arranged close together in
sequence of processing steps (U or C)
Relationship between people and machines changes as
operators may need to learn how to run different types of
equipment to support the process
Machine-watching is avoided by teaching people to operate
several different machines
Flexibility to change how people work together in a cell comes
from cross-training
Cellular manufacturing works best with smaller and often
slower machines
Autonomation (jidoka) is an approach to automation that gives
equipment “intelligence” so people don’t have to monitor
automatic operation
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Summary
