CELL LAYOUT in The Lean Cellular Manufacturing

CELL LAYOUT in The Lean Cellular Manufacturing

Cellular manufacturing is a major building block of lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing is an approach for building a variety of products customers require, profitably.

Lean manufacturing makes companies more profitable and competitive by reducing wastes that typically add cost and lead time to the manufacturing process. Waste in this sense means any element of the manufacturing process that adds cost without adding value to the product

Cellular manufacturing is a proven technique in one-piece flow manufacturing. It improves the efficiency of manufacturing systems through a reduction in setup times, in-process inventories, and throughput times

Machines are usually placed in a U, C or O shape to decrease the operator’s movement, and they are placed close together with room for only a minimal quantity of WIP

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 or transport
• Downtime caused by changeover and adjustments
• Distance materials or WIP must travel between transformation steps
• The need for inspection, or for reworking materials