The right takt.

Q: I am working on a lean layout for finished parts storage. Right now I am struggling with a current layout that contains a split of flow through design and FIFO lanes. I would like to know about the latest and best layout technique(s) that will support lean manufacturing.

A: You might want to learn more about line balancing and load leveling (sometimes called Heijunka) to allow you to design the line better.

Lean layout is creating a manufacturing flow that will be able to keep up with a customer imposed takt time. Takt time, as you know, is the rate at which the customer is buying the product. The challenge then is to create a layout in which numerous operations all operate with a cycle time below the takt time to be able to produce the products a little sooner than the rate at which the customer is consuming them.

If the cycle time for a specific operation is higher than the takt time, you will have to split the operation such that the cycle time then is under the takt time, or else provide multiple stations of that operation to allow the cycle time for the operation to be divided between the numbers of stations provided. (To clarify, cycle time is defined as the operation time divided by the number of operations provided in parallel.)

Furthering this concept, you will have to balance the various operations such that the cycle time for each of the operations is more or less similar and all are under the takt time. Once flow is matched with the takt time, it is then a matter of keeping up the changing takt requirements to grow and shrink the manufacturing resources required to keep in step with the takt time.

This can be done on a quarterly basis if the variation in takt is not too great, or might need to be done on a monthly or weekly basis.

MERWAN MEHTA, PH.D.