Lean-Manufacturing supermarkets
Multipurpose supermarkets are essential for Lean Manufacturing.
Applying the principle of manually portable containers makes it possible to eliminate heavy stock and replace forklift trucks with trains.
Supermarkets are particularly effective at addressing the Muda caused by transport and unnecessary movement. They form the single interface between the delivery bay and the line-side. The muda caused by transport is reduced by moving supermarkets progressively closer to the line-side.
The supermarket principle can also be applied to bulky components, as long as the key principles of transport by trains and manual handling are still applied.
The direct access to components offered by LeanTek supermarkets also reduces the muda caused by waiting.
As supermarkets come closer to the line-side and reduce the muda caused by unnecessary movement and transport, so the need for customization increases and the configuration has to be adapted to the location to ensure that workstation productivity remains the priority.
Manual portability is essential for many reasons.
The first is that packing components into small containers means that dynamic flow systems can be used. This is achieved through the use of supermarkets and line-side flow racks. The flow of components helps reduce the key sources of muda. Secondly, transporting lighter weights allows the use of small multipurpose trains, which are much less costly than forklift trucks.
Reducing the various types of Muda in turn reduces the need for capital investment and boosts the return on investment through successive stages of improvement. In this context, the operational introduction of Lean Manufacturing requires patience, team stability and the will to accommodate permanent change.
An illustration of why supermarkets need to be flexible. LeanTek allows the addition of functions such as load racks and a different ergonomic arrangement at the front.
LeanTek supermarkets are never fixed, but remain free to change and reflect the Kaizen policy of continual improvement. The technical definition evolves in terms of storage capacity. LeanTek supermarkets adapt to keep pace with developments in packaging.
It is a good idea to make supermarkets mobile. The Lean Manufacturing concept suggests that supermarkets gradually move closer to the production site in order to eliminate the muda caused by transport.
The configuration of mobile and modular supermarkets means that they can be moved as the added value production site develops.
Customization is essential. Shop floor managers need to make changes every working day. These changes are made in response to the demands of production and show that the Kaizen principle is being applied. It might be introducing a Kanban sequencer, adapting a supermarket checking table, bypassing a machine, reducing the empty return level for an operator, improving front ergonomics to avoid damaging a component or accommodating a new item… all are real-life examples of the perennial need for flexibility. They reflect the vitality of the plant and demonstrate that continual improvement is in progress.
Although some supermarkets are standard in design, those that pass through several Kaizen stages become real hybrids reflecting the vitality of the production environment. LeanTek encourages creativity in the workplace, which is a highly motivating factor for users.
“Suspended transfer” supermarkets are a new development introduced in response to the fact that certain components, such as textiles, have to be treated very carefully when wheeled or pushed. Suspended transfer proves to be the ideal way of transferring these items. LeanTek offers a range of special products designed for suspended transfer applications.
