Lean Manufacturing Systems and Cell Design

Eminent Manufacturing systems experts J. T. Black and Steve Hunter explain how cellular systems comprise the foundation of the entire lean implementation process in this book. Based on decades of study and firsthand observations of prominent companies in the automotive, aerospace, and plastics industries, the authors explain how members of the lean implementation team-from the manufacturing engineer to the shop floor team leader-can achieve lean cellular system designs. Learn how to integrate quality and reliability control, machine tool maintenance, production and inventory control, and suppliers into the linked-cell system for one-piece-parts movement within cells and small-lot movement between cells. When discussing the advanced use of automation, this book provides leading-edge-information on how 3-D software can be used to simulate hypothetical cells and map out the impact ergonomics has on productivity (an often-overlooked lean variable) in existing cells.