1st Edition

The Basics of Line Balancing and JIT Kitting

By Beverly Townsend Copyright 2012
    85 Pages 70 B/W Illustrations
    by Productivity Press

    86 Pages
    by Productivity Press

    Accessible to the Lean novice and shop floor employee, The Basics of Line Balancing and JIT Kitting explores line balancing and the pre-assembly of components into a finished product in a just-in-time fashion (JIT Kitting). It explains how to use time studies, develop yamazumi charts, discover and eliminate waste, balance your line, and create new standard work content for the shop floor.

    The book facilitates a clear understanding of the seven deadly wastes (muda) as well as what you can do to eliminate them from your facility. Describing the purpose and use of standard work, it explains how to properly staff work cells and how to develop flex plans for fluctuations in demand using this data. The first few chapters explain how to determine takt time and how to use that information along with time studies to identify when you are not meeting customer demand.

    The chapters on JIT Kitting explain how there are other advantages to kitting besides eliminating waste and increasing productivity. The book explains how you can use JIT Kitting to improve quality by having the parts available and limiting the options of numerous parts to the operator. It also provides the understanding needed to ensure the right parts are installed, thereby correcting issues with the build of materials.

    Where Are My Hidden Costs?
    Travel
    Inventory
    Motion
    Waiting
    Overprocessing
    Overproduction
    Defects

    Understanding Your Rhythm

    Genchi Gembutsu

    5S
    Sort
         "When in Doubt, Throw It Out."
    Set
         "A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place."
    Shine
         "Keep It Clean."
    Standardize
         "This Is What Is Expected Every Day in Every Area."
    Sustain
         "Audit the Process to Ensure Sustainability."

    Line Balance and Yamazumi
    Variable Work Content

    Rebalance
    Leaving the Waste In
    Rebalance Removing the Waste

    Flex Plans

    Standard Work

    JIT Kitting
    Kit Specifics
         What Type of Kit?
    Material Delivery
         What Type of Transportation?
    Workstation Design
         Designed for Kits, Tools, and Ergonomics
    Line-Side Layout
         Layout for Station and Tugger Delivery
    Supermarket Design
         Size and Layout of the Supermarket
    Pick Lists
         Pick Lists and Heijunka
    Material Handling Takt Times
         Material Handling Is Now on a Takt Time
    Refining the Process
         Correcting Mistakes and Anticipating the Crash Period

    High Mix and Complexity

    Conclusion

    Biography

    Beverly Townsend