Transformer Factory Assembly Area Layout
Transformer Factory Assembly Area Layout
Transformer Factory Assembly Area Layout
POWERTECH TRANSFORMERS
by
MELANI REYNEKE
27184511
in the
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
2010
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Executive Summary
Powertech Transformers, located in Pretoria West, is one of the largest and sophisticated
transformer manufacturing plants in the southern hemisphere. The variety of products
manufactured is used by local authorities, mines, industrial plants, and the utility industry. The
manufacturing plant has experienced problems with the productivity and efficiency of their active
assembly area.
This project was aimed at optimizing the active assembly line layout and at improving the current
process. The selection and implementation of the relevant industrial engineering tools and problem
solving techniques helped to achieve this goal.
This document describes the situation at Powertech Transformers and how the implementation of
systematic layout planning and lean manufacturing will achieve potential savings and
improvements. These selected techniques have been directed at improving specifically the material
flow and tool usage to ultimately optimize the efficiency and production effectiveness throughout
the overall layout area.
The future state of Powertech Transformers has a more efficient flow of materials and operations
and will ultimately improve the productivity of the area. The improvements will enable the
operators and management to have more control over the process and to focus their attention on
the quality of the operations and the products. It is expected that with more focus on quality that
less products will be faulty, saving time and money.
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Table of Contents
1. Background and Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
1.1. Company Profile ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Project Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2
2. Problem Statement................................................................................................................................. 3
3. Project Aim.............................................................................................................................................. 3
4. Project Scope .......................................................................................................................................... 3
5. Deliverables............................................................................................................................................. 4
6. Literature Review.................................................................................................................................... 5
6.1. Overview....................................................................................................................................... 5
6.2. Operation Analysis........................................................................................................................ 6
6.3. Facilities Planning ......................................................................................................................... 7
6.3.1. Systematic Layout Planning ................................................................................................ 8
6.3.2. Strategic Facility Planning .................................................................................................. 9
6.4. Housekeeping (5s) ...................................................................................................................... 10
6.5. Line Balancing............................................................................................................................. 11
6.6. Training and Award systems ...................................................................................................... 12
6.7. Flow diagrams............................................................................................................................. 12
6.8. Tool Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 13
6.9. Lean Manufacturing ................................................................................................................... 13
6.10. Total Quality Control ................................................................................................................ 14
6.11. Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa) ................................................................................................... 15
6.12. Gantt Chart ............................................................................................................................... 15
6.13. Queuing Theory ........................................................................................................................ 15
6.14. Critical Path Method (CPM)...................................................................................................... 16
6.15. Selection of Appropriate Methods, Tools and Techniques ...................................................... 17
7. Data Gathering and Analysis................................................................................................................. 17
7.1. Overview..................................................................................................................................... 17
7.2. Layout Data................................................................................................................................. 19
7.3. Tool Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 24
7.4. Material Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 26
7.5. Standard Process Analysis .......................................................................................................... 27
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8. Conceptual Designs............................................................................................................................... 28
9. Conclusion............................................................................................................................................. 29
10. Reference ............................................................................................................................................ 30
Appendices
List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Layout of the Powertech Transformers Plant in Pretoria West ............................................. 1
Figure 1.2: Active Parts Assembly Area ...................................................................................................... 2
Figure 1.3: Cores are Transported via the Overhead Crane ....................................................................... 3
Figure 2: Breakdown Structure of Literature Review ............................................................................... 6
Figure 3.1: Evolution of facilities planning.................................................................................................. 7
Figure 3.2: Modified SLP procedure ........................................................................................................... 8
Figure 3.3: Four-step SFP procedure ......................................................................................................... 9
Figure 4: Strategic priorities of 5s............................................................................................................. 10
Figure 5: Environmental performance factors ......................................................................................... 12
Figure 6: Summary of lean manufacturing .............................................................................................. 13
Figure 7: Fishbone diagram....................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 8: Activity box ................................................................................................................................ 16
Figure 9: Lean manufacturing strategy deployment ............................................................................... 18
Figure 10.1: Flow diagram of the cores being loaded onto the scaffolds ................................................ 19
Figure 10.2: Flow diagram of the Windings.............................................................................................. 20
Figure 10.3: Flow diagram of the materials and operators ...................................................................... 20
Figure 10.4: SLP relationship ratings......................................................................................................... 21
Figure 10.5: Available space in meter per square .................................................................................... 23
Figure 11.1: Toolboxes.............................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 11.2: Conceptual design of the label board................................................................................... 27
Figure 11.3: Example of the job card ........................................................................................................ 27
List of Tables
Table 1: Production times and costs.......................................................................................................... 5
Table 2: Process evaluation procedure.................................................................................................... 28
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Appendices
Appendix A: Layout Areas in Figure 1.1
Appendix B: Activities for the Assembly of a Transformer
Appendix C: SLP Process Model
Appendix D: SFP Process Model
Appendix E: Fishbone Diagram
Appendix F: Initial layout design
Appendix G: CPM applied to the entire production process
Appendix H: Tool lists for operators, platforms and the assembly area
Appendix I: How the Kanban system works
Appendix J: Organization breakdown diagram
Appendix K: Process evaluation diagram
Appendix L: Conceptual Designs
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1. Background and Introduction
The variety of products manufactured by the company ranges from three-phase and single-phase
units, auto-transformers, shunt reactors, rectifier transformers and power distribution products.
Powertech Transformers uses standardized design elements and manufacturing procedures that
make the production process more flexible. All the separate parts and materials used to build the
transformers are custom made by Powertech Transformers to ensure that the final product is of the
highest quality. The products are used by local authorities, mines, industrial plants, motor
manufacturers and the utility industry.
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1.2. Project Introduction
Powertech Transformers manufactures all the individual parts for the power transformers. The
companys experience allows them to apply flexible and well co-ordinated manufacturing processes
to ensure that the power transformers are of the highest quality.
The plant is divided into several sections for each step of the manufacturing process (Figure 1.1).
The active parts assembly area (Figure 1.2) will be the focal point in this project. This area consists
of six assembly platforms/scaffolds where the individual power transformers are built. The power
transformers are designed and manufactured to the customer specifications.
The iron cores are built in the stacking area. From there the cores are transported via the overhead
crane to the active parts assembly area where it is loaded onto an available assembly platform
(Figure 1.3). The assembly steps and activities are further discussed in appendix B. The output of
the active parts assembly area is the finished assembled power transformer.
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Figure 1.3: Cores are transported via the overhead crane
2. Problem Statement
Powertech Transformers has identified that the current
active parts assembly lines production output is less
3. Project Aim
The aim of this project is to create an optimal work area in the assembly line that will enable the
workers to perform their duties without any obstructions or delays and thus increase the
production activity.
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Create a visible and safe work area
4. Project Scope
The project scope is as follows:
Physical measurement and development of the layout area and all the fixed workstations
and machines in the assembly area
A study of the workers and the procedures they follow will also be done to get an
understanding of the flow of the process
Conceptual designs of the layout area with improvements
Improving the tool usage of the individual workers, each platform, and the assembly line
Improving the housekeeping of the area
Establishing a process flow diagram
Evaluation and selection of best alternative layout
The main objective is to increase the profitability of the company by minimizing the costs and
maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the process and quality of the products.
5. Deliverables
The deliverables of this project are the applicable industrial engineering tools and techniques that
are used to improve the quality and efficiency in the assembly area. They are listed as follows:
Fish Diagram to determine the causes and effects of the problems
Gantt chart for project planning and control
Flow diagram
Operation Analysis: What, Why, How, Who, Where, When?
Chart relationships
Activity Relationship Diagram
Alternative Layout Evaluation
Training Approaches
Lean Manufacturing
Housekeeping (5S)
Critical Path Method
Systematic Layout Planning (SLP)
Total Quality Control
Facilities Planning
Tool analysis
JIT (Just-in-time) analysis
Kanban pull-system
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These techniques will be directed at identifying and improving the problem areas to create a work
environment that is operating efficiently and productively.
6. Literature Review
6.1. Overview
The literature review is essential for the gathering of information that is relevant and useful to this
project. The analysis of the information and data collected will ultimately provide a better
understanding of the existing problems in the active parts assembly area and how various methods
can be used to solve these problems. The focus point is to create an optimal solution from the
different industrial engineering techniques that will reduce the costs and improve the productivity
of the assembly area.
Powertech Transformers is currently struggling to make profit on the active parts assembly line. The
average production time and costs for large and small power transformers are shown in Table 1.
Small Transformers Large Transformers
Production Cost R4 million R18 million
Production Time 14 weeks 26 weeks
Table 1: Production Times and Costs
Interest costs and penalty costs are paid for every day that the product is late for delivery. The
interest is currently taken on a fixed rate of 12.5% (subject to change). The penalty rate per day can
vary between 0.1% and 10% of the product value, as stipulated in the contract. If a small
transformer is 5 days late and the penalty rate is 10% per day; the total costs lost would be R5480
per day penalty cost and R6850 interest cost.
It is clear that a great amount of money will be lost if the production is behind schedule. The factors
responsible for the late product delivery time are listed in order of most occurrences:
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1. Absenteeism of operators
2. Poor performance
3. Poor quality
4. Engineering changes
5. Late supply from suppliers
6. Breakdowns of machines
According to Niebel et al (2003) the objective of the manufacturing manager is to produce a
quality product, on schedule, at the lowest possible cost, with a minimum of capital investment and
a maximum of employee satisfaction. A study of possible techniques is done to determine which
methods will produce this end result.
The techniques under consideration for the problem solving are shown in the breakdown diagram
in figure 2 and are further discussed in this literature study.
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6.2. Operation Analysis
Operation analysis is an effective method used by many methods analysts in their quest to improve
work centres and increase productivity in productive and non-productive sections of an
organization. The questioning approach is used in all areas of the organization to help obtain all the
relevant facts. Niebel et al (2003) states that practically all operations can be improved if sufficient
study is given to them.
The six primary questions asked to gather facts are what, why, how, who, where and when. Nine
systematic approaches have been developed to assist with the analyzing of the facts gathered.
These nine approaches are:
Operation purpose
Part design
Tolerances and specifications
Material
Manufacture sequence and process
Setup and tools
Material handling
Plant layout
Work design
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project design and construction.
SLP Procedure:
The space limitations will guide with the development of possible layout alternatives. Systematic
layout planning uses adjacency-based scoring to develop the layout alternatives. Trial and error will
help with the selection of a satisfactory layout.
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See appendix C for a detailed summary of the SLP procedure.
6.3.2. Strategic Facility Planning (SFP)
Strategic facility planning is a proactive process that creates strategic facility goals that is in line
with the organizations strategic business objectives.
The four-step SFP process (figure 3.2) is used to assist in the in-depth study of the existing facility
and helps with the development of an improved facility plan that will give the organization a
competitive advantage.
SFP Process:
Understanding
A balanced scorecard can be used to understand the
long term mission and goals of the organization. The
understanding of the current business demographic
and available resources is essential for SFP.
Analyzing
Brainstorming, scenario planning, SWOT analysis and
SLP can be used to analyze the different elements of
SFP: employees, processes, organization structure,
government regulatory requirements, market
position, product volumes and capacity of resources.
Figure 3.2: Four-step SFP process (http://www.ifma.org/tools/files/SFP_WhitePaper.pdf)
Planning
The plan development phase creates the course of action that will support the organizations goals
in the long term. IFMAs steps in setting up the plan consist of:
Documenting primary objectives
Evaluating the factors that are critical for success
Risk analysis to find maximum value
Developing alternatives
Developing a process for marketing the recommended SFP to gain approval
Obtain financial and other relevant approvals
Launch the action phase
Acting
The implementation of the SFP plans can be done by different projects being launched. Feedback
on the success and failures of these projects will help to continuously improve and update the
plans.
IFMA, in its Strategic Facility Planning: A white paper, 2009 report, defines strategic facility
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planning as: The process by which a facility management organization envisions its future by
linking its purpose to the strategy of the overall organization and then developing goals,
objectives, and action plans to achieve that future. The result of the strategic facility planning
process is the strategic facility plan.
The Strategic Facility Planning process model is shown in detail in appendix D.
Housekeeping is the western term used for work place organisation or 5s. It is a value driven
business model that can be seen as the initiating point within lean manufacturing. The primary
objective of 5s is to create a safe and healthy work environment where productivity can be
increased. The strategic priorities of productivity, quality, costs, delivery, safety, and morale are
depicted in figure 4.
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Healthier and safe work environment
High level of autonomy
5s is a stepping stone to an integrated management system, but it can only be achieved through
total participation and high levels of managerial decision making. Some activities that support the
5s implementation is:
U-shaped cells and cell layout
Visual controls
Setup reduction
Ergonomic improvements
TPM
Pull Systems (Kanban)
WIP reduction
Poka-Yoke Device
Draw a precedence diagram which depicts the order in which tasks must be performed.
Determine the workstation cycle time (C):
C=
N=
Efficiency=
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Rebalance the line using a different decision rule if the efficiency is unsatisfactory.
A study (Jong and Hartog, 2007) shows that there are 13 behaviours that a leader can
undertake to promote innovation in the workplace:
Innovative role-modelling
Intellectual stimulation
Stimulating knowledge
diffusion
Providing vision
Consulting
Delegating
Support for innovation
Organizing feedback
Recognition
Rewards
Providing resources
Monitoring
Task assignment
The flow pattern of the materials and tools can be drawn on an existing layout plan of the plant
area. The direction of flow is represented by an arrow. Departments or areas of importance
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can be referenced by numbers on the diagram. Flow diagrams facilitate with the elimination
and reduction of any hidden costs associated with a specific activity of the process. Traffic
congestion areas and backtracking of materials will be made visible on the flow diagram, and
can assist in the development of an optimal plant layout alternative (Niebel and Freivalds,
2003).
Bottlenecks can also be identified on a flow diagram. A bottleneck is a resource that limits the
capacity of the process and can thus be seen as the pacesetter of the flow rate in the
manufacturing system. Improved bottlenecks will lead to an improved system.
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The Toyota Production System led the way to lean production by using integrated activities to
achieve high volume and quality products. A graphical depiction of lean manufacturing and its
components are shown in figure 6.
Some lean manufacturing tools and techniques used in the industry are:
Cellular management rearrangement of tools, workers and workstations to eliminate
waste
JIT production producing what is needed when needed
Kanban system card is used as signalling device to maintain JIT
Kaizen continuous improvement of machinery, materials, tools, methods and labour
utilization through the suggestions and ideas of company teams
Minimized setup times
Uniform production flow/ production smoothing keep production level as constant as
possible
Focused factory networks
Quality at the source do it right the first time
Poka-yokes preventing mistakes from becoming defects
Standardization of work
Total productive maintenance preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance and
maintenance prevention
LEAN
MANUFACTURING
Short Cycles
Continuous Improvement
Total Quality Focus
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of quality circles, where problem solving groups were formed consisting of people from
different departments. The group then aimed to solve the problem that was responsible for
certain defects. Kaizen is central to total quality control. In order for the product to be of
good quality the design, functional/operating, environmental, safety, and reliability
requirements must all meet the original specifications.
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economic balance between waiting times and service capacity according to Niebel et al
(2003).
Some systems follow a Poisson arrival order. In this case there exist five possible categories,
each with their own equations: (Niebel et al (2003))
1. Any service time distribution and a single server
2. Exponential service time and a single server
3. Exponential service time and finite servers
4. Constant service time and a single server
5. Constant service time and finite servers
CPM can only be done once all the individual activities of a project are predetermined.
The method used for CPM is called the critical path diagram or the activity-on-arc (AOA)
diagram. Each activity is represented by the box shown in figure 8 with the relevant
information as indicated. The activities are graphically connected in the order in which they
take place. The different paths to the end result can be identified on the diagram. The
longest path is known as the critical path, and it represents the minimum time required to
complete the entire project.
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Figure 8: Activity box (Source: http://hspm.sph.sc.edu/Courses/J716/CPM/CPM.html)
The most important tools that will be used in this project are:
Fishbone diagram (problem identification)
Systematic layout planning (improved and efficient layout)
Flow diagram (improved flow of materials)
Lean manufacturing (waste elimination)
Tool analysis (efficient tooling)
Training and reward incentives (worker motivation)
From the fishbone diagram the following wastes have been identified:
Time spent waiting for materials to arrive
Time spent trying to find the correct tooling
Distances travelled to find the materials and tooling
Unnecessary motion of workers
Defective product occupy platform/ scaffold that causes delays in the assembly area
as the following jobs cannot be started
Defects occur because of poor quality and performance of operators
Possible production time wasted as a result of absent employees
The factors responsible for the late product delivery time (and thus increased costs) can also
be seen as waste. (Listed in order of most occurrences):
1. Absenteeism of operators
2. Poor performance
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3. Poor quality
4. Engineering changes
5. Late supply from suppliers
6. Breakdowns of machines
Considering all the above mentioned waste, it can be concluded that the areas of immediate
importance is the accessibility and availability of the materials and tools, a user-friendly
layout, and worker morale.
Applying an interrelated lean manufacturing approach will help to solve these problems.
Figure 9 shows the lean manufacturing strategy deployment that will be used.
After the wastes have been identified, the next step is to determine exactly what approach
to take to try and minimize or eliminate the waste where possible.
This is summarized in figure 9:
5s is the initiating point for lean manufacturing
It entails good housekeeping which means only the necessary items is in the work
area, there is a place for everything and everything is clean and in a constant state of
readiness
Operator involvement is absolutely essential for 5s to be successful and will also
result in a sense of pride, thus an increased worker morale
Visual controls is an activity that support the 5s implementation
Visual controls and housekeeping needs to be incorporated into the layout
Kanban is a system designed to facilitate smooth operation
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Standard work procedures (that will explain the use of kanban and housekeeping)
need to be written and adhered to by the entire operating team
The outcomes of this project will be a layout design that incorporates the easy usage and
accessibility of tools and materials, and a standard working procedure in which the
production process is summarized and available for use by all parties involved (especially
management and the operators).
Following the systematic layout planning procedure, the subsequent data were collected.
1. Input Data (product, quantity, route, support, time)
The critical path method (CPM) was used to draw the production flow of a
transformer (the entire production process taking place including the assembly
process) as well as indicate the path that is of high importance. See appendix G for
the CPM and appendix B for the assembly process of a transformer.
2. Flow of materials
It is important to mention that for the scope and budget of this project, a total
renovation of the assembly area is not feasible. The scaffolds/ platforms are fixed
measurements. The focus will therefore be on the location and layout of the
materials and tools. The layout design will be made around the platforms.
Figure 10.1: Flow Diagram of the Cores being loaded onto the Scaffolds/ Platforms
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Figure 10.2: Flow Diagram of the Windings
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3. Chart relationships
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4. Space requirements
5. Space available
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Figure 10.5: Available space in meter per square
List of Abbreviations:
PF Platform
WT Winding Trolley
MT Material Trolley
CT Core Trolley
HS Harness Storage
TO Toolbox Operators
TP Toolbox Platforms
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TA Toolbox Assembly
7. Space relationship diagram
8. Practical limitations
The platforms are fixed in the positions that they currently occupy. Green areas exist
in the active assembly area that cannot be put to use. Areas for the workers to
occupy during their tea breaks are also lost space.
The overhead cranes are used to move the assembled and/or assembly parts. The
cranes can only move one part at a time, and only if there is an available platform
where the parts can be moved to.
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BEFORE AFTER
Apart from finding the correct toolbox that can be utilized by each operator, the content
needed to be sort out. Toolbox inspections and the analysis of the assembly process assisted
with the development of an updated operator toolbox list that can be seen in appendix H.
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Correct tool usage is very important as it ensures a prolonged tool life-cycle and can
minimize any possible damage to the assembly parts. The scheduling and upkeep of
maintenance and inspection activities for the different tooling need to be determined
beforehand. This will ensure that any occurring problems with the tooling can be identified
and solved before it has a negative effect on the production output.
7.4. Material Analysis
The master production scheduler determines ahead of time which projects will be built in
the active assembly area. This entails intricate planning of the availability of the overhead
cranes, the relevant platforms to be used, allocating available operators to the project,
and ordering the projects materials from the insulation shop, to name a few. (The term
project refers to the power transformer being built and assembled at the request from a
customer.)
The main problem with the materials is that it is not readily available for use. Operators
continuously move around to find the materials. This is because of a lack of planning. The
Kanban pull-system is an ideal lean manufacturing technique to help create a production
flow that runs continuously and smooth.
The approach developed for the situation in the active assembly area will work as follows:
(It is important to note that this approach is only based on the Kanban pull-system and will
cover the active assembly area.)
A section of the layout will be demarcated for specific use by the material trolleys.
(Note that each project has material trolleys allocated to it)
This section will be divided into 6 areas (one for each platform), also known as the
Material trolley bays.
The bay area is in a state of ready for use so that the next job can start without
delay.
The material trolleys will be temporarily stored in this area until the relevant
project (which also refers to the platform where that project is scheduled to be
built) sends for it.
The material trolleys will then be moved to that relevant platform.
As the material trolley bay opens, a labelled card on the label board will indicate
which project or job card is scheduled to be build next. The operator must then get
the material trolleys for that job from the insulation shop to fill the bay.
A labelled card will also indicate which projects are currently in process or are
complete.
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In order for this approach to be successful, detailed planning and a joined collaboration is
needed from an interrelated perspective. Visual aids (a label board and bright signalling
cards) will enhance the effectiveness of the system. The marked spaces on the floor will
indicate where the materials should be stored. Below is the conceptual design of the label
board.
The visual board and associated labelled cards will be located near the material trolley bay
area. The master scheduler will determine ahead of time which jobs are to be completed, in
which order and on what platforms. There are three types of colour cards that will be used
for each platform. The red card will indicate which jobs are completed. The green card
indicates which jobs are currently in process, and the yellow card is the job whos material
trolleys should occupy the bays.
The red card will always be followed by the green card and the green always by the yellow.
This label board will help the operators and the master scheduler to keep track of the
operations in the assembly area.
The job card will have a duplicate attached to it so that it can be removed by the operator
that is getting the material trolleys to ensure that the correct materials are collected. It will
contain basic information of the job/ project.
Client _________________
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Operator
Material Parts Bay at which Check if
Numbers to store material trolley
is complete
A practical walk-through and informative session was undertaken to understand exactly the
how, what, where, when, and why of the assembly process. See appendix B for a review of
the assembly process.
For the development of a process map for the active assembly area it is necessary to have
an overview of the entire organization and to understand the interrelationships that exist
between the assembly area and the rest of the organization. The companys overall goals
and missions must be kept in mind when figuring out where the assembly area fits into the
companys functional business structure. This will assist in understanding how the entire
company is integrated and ultimately who has an effect on whom.
Operations analysis will assist in the study of identifying the process steps. It promotes the
approach of defining the suppliers, inputs, processes, outputs and customers of each
functional business activity. The simple example of the process of making photo copies is
illustrated in the table below. This approach helps to identify all parties involved or affected
by certain processes.
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Table 2: Process evaluation procedure
This approach will ensure a complete and thorough understanding and development of an
inclusive process model.
See appendix J and K for the organization breakdown diagram and process evaluation
diagram respectively.
From the process evaluation diagram and organization breakdown diagram the assembly
areas process map was developed. It is depicted in the following diagram.
Design of customers
order
Master production
Scheduler
Check list and ensure
No all the required
Red Yellow Materials collected from Material trolleys
Job is Complete. Update Status of job card materials are in the
Insulation shop Complete?
register & send report to trolleys
Master production scheduler
PlatformOperator
Insulation Shop
Project Leader Yes
Green
Platformteam No
Clean platform &return
Windings collected all trolleys and tools to
from winding shop Transformer dissembled their demarcated areas
Yes Fix problem
Pass Inspection until problemis fixable
PlatformOperator PlatformTeamleader &
PlatformTeamleader & operators
operators Platform Team leader &
operators
Collect Harness from
insulation shop No
Inspection of platform
PlatformOperator area
PlatformTeamleader
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8. Conceptual Designs
The data gathered were analysed and implemented into the conceptual designs developed.
See appendix L for the three alternative conceptual designs.
From the comparisons above it is easy to see that design 3 is the best option as it will cost
less to implement, has made provisions for cleaning, is conveniently designed, and has more
space available for easy movement.
The different areas depicted in the layout will be demarcated using tape and labelling it. This
will result in improved housekeeping as cleaning equipment is provided and everything has
a fixed place where it should be, keeping the layout neat and safe for the operators.
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9. Conclusion
The current state of Powertech Transformers assembly area is inefficient and non-
profitable. This projects main aim was to optimize this area and the process by focusing on
improving the following:
Operators are constantly moving around looking for the correct tools and materials, wasting
time and thus leading to extra costs. Focusing on the layout of the area, there has been an
attempt to rectify this situation by creating an area that promotes smooth material flow.
The most appropriate methods applied to achieve this were systematic layout planning and
lean manufacturing. The Kanban pull-system was used as a reference to promote
continuous work flow in the area and also to help keep track of the operations in the area.
The selected conceptual design was chosen for implementation as it is less costly, promotes
good housekeeping and has more free space available for movement. It has been suggested
that this layout be implemented in order to reduce unnecessary waste and thereby
improving the productivity of the area.
Tool analysis was done to determine the type and amount of tools needed for the assembly
process. Correct tooling is of the highest importance to prevent the product from being
damaged.
The process map was drawn for the area to serve as guidance for the operators to refer to
and follow. This will create an environment that has a unified goal that is pursued by
everybody in the same procedural manner.
This project contains suggestions on how to optimize the assembly area and offer possible
solutions to some of its problems. For practical purposes it can be estimated that potential
savings of around 60% can be anticipated if these plans are implemented. This is calculated
by means of considering the penalty and interest costs that will be decreased as a result of
improvements to the material flow, tooling, and layout.
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10. References
Sato, M. (2008). The Toyota Leaders An executive Guide. New York: Vertical, Inc.
Niebel, B.W., Freivalds, A. (2003). Methods, Standards, and Work Design (11th Ed). New
York: McGraw-Hill.
Jacobs, F.R., Chase, R.B., Aquilano, N.J. (2009). Operations and supply management (12th
Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sule, D.R. (1994). Manufacturing Facilities: Location, Planning,and Design (2nd Ed).Boston:
PWS Publishing Company.
Abdullah, F. (2003). Lean manufacturing tools and techniques in the process industry with a
focus on steel. pp.10-21.
De Jong, J.P.J. & Den Hartog, D.N. (2007). How leaders influence employees innovative
behaviour. European Journal of Innovation Management. (Vol.10.No.1):pp.41-64.
Roper, K.O., Kim, J.H., Lee, S.H. (2009). A white paper on strategic facility planning. IFMA.
pp.1-22.
Chien, T.K. (2004). An empirical study of facility layout using a modified SLP procedure.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management. (Volume 15. No.6):pp.455-465.
Gapp, R., Fisher, R.,& Kobayashi, K. (2008). Implementing 5S within a Japanese context: an
integrated management system. Management Decision. (Vol.46.No.4):pp.565-579.
Domingo, R., Alvarez, R., Pena, M.M.,& Calvo, R. (2007). Materials flow improvement in a
lean assembly line: a case study. Assembly Automation.pp.141-147.
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http://www.ifma.org/tools/files/SFP_WhitePaper.pdf (Accessed 10 May 2010)
www.pttransformers.co.za
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APPENDIX A: Layout Areas in Figure 1.1
1. Outside View
2. Reception
3. Steel Cutting
4. Large Tank Manufacture
5. Insulation Area A
6. Insulation Area B
7. Paper Lapping
8. Core Slitting
9. Core Stacking
10. Small and Large Assembly Line A
11. Small and Large Assembly Line B
12. Large Winding Assembly A
13. Large Winding Assembly B
14. Marshalling Kiosk
15. Transformer Test Control Room
16. Transformer Test Bay
17. Transformer Despatch Area
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APPENDIX B: Activities for the Assembly of a Transformer
Alignment of Point
Core Loaded Top Core
Bottom End Inspection on
onto Assembly Clamps
Insulation (3 Bottom End
Platform Removed
Phases) Insulation
Assembly of Assembly of
Prepare and Fit Top Ducts
set-up against Outermost Set-
Windings Alignment
Core Limbs up
Point Pressing of
Assembly of Assembly of
Inspection: Active Part
Top End Top Core
Top Ducts Block
Insulation Clamps
Alignment Windings
Hold Point-
Pressing and
Stack of Top Ratio Test Connection
Tightening Top
Yoke Plates before Process
Core Clamps
Connections
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APPENDIX C: SLP Process Model
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APPENDIX D: SFP Process Model
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APPENDIX E: Fishbone diagram
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APPENDIX F: Initial layout design
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APPENDIX G: CPM applied to the entire production process
Painting &
Processin
pre-
g plant
assembly
Tanking
Marshallin
Bushings Test board
g kiosks
Despatch
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APPENDIX H: Toolbox List for operators, platforms and the assembly area
16mm 2
17mm 2
18mm 2 1 Long & 1 Short
19mm 2
24mm 2
30mm 2
Allen key socket
Sizes: 6mm 1
8mm 1
10mm 1
14mm 1
Hammers 2lb 1
4lb 1
Rubber Mallet 2lb 1
Hacksaw Large 1
Junior 1
Ratchet Long 1
Small 1
Vice grip 2
Pliers 1
Water pliers 1
Tin snipper 1
Tape 5m 1
3m Swedish 1
Knife Swedish knife 1
Long arm 9
Allen key set pieces 1
Torch Mini Mag light 1
Chisels Med 1
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Large 1
Knife sharpener 1
Pen 1
Hand gloves 1
Fibre Socket Size 30mm 1
Extension Sockets for Ratchet Long (250mm) 1
Short (175mm) 1
Glue Bottles 1
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Small PF 10
Pennetjies 2
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High frequency machine 2
Grabs 1
Winding grabs Small 3
Big 1
Cranes 5 ton 2
30 ton 1
150 ton 2
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APPENDIX I: Simplified explanation of how the Kanban pull system works
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APPENDIX J: Organization breakdown diagram
General
Manager
Director of
Operations
Industrial
Sales Purchasing Manufacturing
Controller Chief Engineer Relations
Manager Manager Manager
Manager
Mechanical &
Accounts Purchasing Personnel
Electrical
Clerk Officer Officer
Engineers
Maintenance
Manager Production Operators Office
Scheduler Assistant
QC
Manager
Internal
Auditor
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APPENDIX K: Process evaluation diagram
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APPENDIX L: Conceptual Design 1
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Conceptual Design 2
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Selected alternative (Conceptual Design 3)
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