Template based production system design

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a methodological guidance for the practical use of the axiomatic designed production module template presented in a former publication. The objective is to accelerate the design process and increase the quality of results in the design of lean production systems. Design/methodology/approach – Two case studies based on practical cases were presented to different test teams. A first test cycle helped to improve the user friendliness of the axiomatic designed tree of functional requirements and design parameters. The second test cycle served to prove the practicability of the template, comparing the teams’ results with the realized solution. Findings – Based on the teams’ feedbacks, ten “easy-to-use” steps for the systematic design of lean production systems were developed. The guideline obtains the best results if used in combination with the value stream mapping concept. Research limitations/implications – Apart from one case study in injection moulding, practical evaluations were focused on applications in the field of manual, hybrid or automated assembly systems, which perhaps limits the applicability of the presented approach in some machining processes. Practical implications – Several successful implementations demonstrated the validity of the presented method in terms of results, planning time and user friendliness. Even students with nearly no practical experiences in production system design were able to present astonishing results within short timeframes. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need of a methodological guidance in the design of lean production systems and offers practical help to shorten the design times and improve the quality of the design results.