The design simulation of an agile assembly line in furniture manufacturing.
Mofokeng, Patience
Mofokeng, Patience
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Abstract
Due to the expansion of the urban population, the furniture industry today plays a substantial role in national trade and the economy. Furniture manufacturing worldwide faces increasing competition and challenges related to productivity, resource efficiency, workflow optimisation, and lead time reduction. The main objective of this study was to simulate an agile assembly line that improves productivity for SMEs in South African furniture manufacturing. To address this objective, a case study was conducted on a small to medium-sized furniture manufacturing company in South Africa. This research incorporated the use of lean principles, value stream mapping (VSM), and simulation to enhance productivity and design an agile assembly line tailored for the company to visually represent the current manufacturing processes, identifying value-added and non-value-added activities to identify areas of waste and opportunities for improvement. Time studies were conducted to measure the time required to complete each task in the production process. The detailed data from time studies enabled the quantification of inefficiencies and the identification of bottlenecks in the lead time. The Anylogic simulation tool was employed to model the current production process and to test the impact of proposed changes. The Simulation helped in validating the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed improvements before actual implementation, thus reducing the potential for costly errors. A statistical model was developed as part of the quantitative research design to analyse and explain observations from the production line. The statistical model helped in understanding the relationships between different variables in the production process. The linear regression model provided insights into future demand trends, allowing for better planning and resource allocation. The average cycle time was reduced by 25% for a cut list through the use of lean principles a model was developed that showed enhanced productivity.
Description
Mini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master Of Engineering: Engineering Management (INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING) in the Department of Industrial Engineering within the Faculty Of Engineering and the Built Environment at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2023-12-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Furniture manufacturing, Lean manufacturing, Value stream mapping