Whitepapers

Recommended Features for Lean Material Handling Equipment to Ensure Proper Safety and Ergonomic Operation ...view .pdf

When re-designing material flow to address lean matierial handling, equipment ergonomics and safety play a key role. The following article lists equipment and corresponding features to evaluate during your selection process of material handling equipment for use in Lean Material Handling Systems.

Lean Material Handling Justification ...view .pdf (128 kb)

There are many cost and safety issues that are impacted by a forklift free strategy. Each plant situation may stress different issues and priorities effecting how a forklift free system may be justified. Learn more about the possible justification components for forklift free.

Lean Material Handling Plants...Considerations for Success ...view .pdf file (129 kb)

2004, printed with permission from Kinetic Technologies, LLC.

Human loss and liability cost relative to forklift injuries has been the number one driver for forklift free plant floors. Each year in the United States, nearly 100 workers are killed and another 20,000 are seriously injured in forklift-related incidents. Forklift overturns are the leading cause of fatalities involving forklifts; they represent about 25% of all fork-lift-related deaths.

This whitepaper outlines factors to consider when pursuing a forklift free environment with items to consider in the plant as well as justification points for the financial aspect of the decision.

Line Balancing vs. Theory of Constraints ...view .pdf file (128 kb)

Copyright 2002 Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Reprinted with permission from ISSUE IIE Solutions magazine.
Issue, April 2002.
All rights reserved.

“Even though line balancing woks well for paced assembly lines, it is not appropriate for flow lines, which are unpaced. In paced assembly lines, conveyors determine the speed of production; in flow lines, each workstation finished subassemblies at its own pace. The reason line balancing is not suited to flow lines is the combination of dependent events and statistical fluctuations that exist.”

The Human Factor in JIT Implementation - A Case Study Of Ambrake Corporation ...view .pdf file (28 kb)

Published with permission of APICS--The Educational Society for Resource Management, Alexandria, Virginia, Production and Inventory Management Journal, 4Q, 2000.

“JIT emphasizes superior organizational values and philosophies, long-term strategic goals, a two-way communication system, cooperation, harmonious relationships, functional structures, strong commitment and loyalty to the organization on the part of its members, and a consultative decision-making process.”

Learn how Ambrake Corporation applied these concepts.

Some Thoughts on Implementing “Pull” Systems ...view .pdf file (36 kb)

Published with permission of APICS--The Educational Society for Resource Management, Alexandria, Virginia, Production and Inventory Management Journal, 4Q, 1999.

“The following is a general discussion of “pull” systems based on my own observations of various manufacturing companies that have implemented these approaches – successfully and unsuccessfully….The intent is simply to offer informed practitioners who are considering implementing such systems some insights as well as suggestions for structuring the effort, some simple tools that can help in the execution phases, and pitfalls to avoid.”