Supercomputer Production Line Improvement by Lean Techniques and Computer Simulation
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Abstract
This research presents an approach to improving the production line of the supercomputer Model A, which is a new product line consisting of 18 workstations used for producing both components and finished products. The production line was found to have waste arising from waiting, inventory, and transportation. Therefore, lean techniques were applied to improve the line, including quick setup, kanban, and cellular layout design using the Computerized Relative Allocation Facilities Technique (CRAFT) to analyze and optimize the workstation layout. The improvement of the parts feeding method using the quick setup principle eliminated waste caused by waiting. A parts feeding box was designed to contain exactly the number of parts needed to assemble one unit, prepared in advance according to the kanban size and scheduled to be delivered directly to each workstation. This reduced inventory waste by 14.87%. The production layout analyzed by CRAFT reduced movement distance by 216.8 meters, equivalent to 26%. As a result of the study, the improved production line was able to produce 20 more supercomputer Model A units per month, with a 33% increase in output rate. The overall production line efficiency increased by 191%, and the average workstation utilization improved by 12%.
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