Lean automation strategies for high volume, high complexity, manufacturing systems

This thesis and the associated project explore lean automation strategies for high volume, high complexity manufacturing systems. In particular, we study how to reduce the footprint and cost of an automotive sealing line, while maintaining current levels of production, maintainability and safety. The key challenge researched in this thesis concerns how to reduce space requirements and cost of a highly automated facility without sacrificing system maintainability, safety or throughput. For this study, any solution must utilize currently available technology. The thesis will review the basic research, concept development, layout development and solution refinement activities that lead to a final concept and recommendation. The key findings for this study include three strategies that led to a lower cost footprint that consumed less space. These strategies are: " Intelligent reduction of conveyance systems "Increased system flexibility" Increased automation density Additionally the study highlights how these strategies complement each other when addressing cost and space reduction challenges. In this particular study the three strategies yielded space savings of approximately 33% and capital cost savings of about 10%.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Kimball, Peter Evan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• David Hardt and Thomas Roemer.

• Sloan School of Management.
• Mechanical Engineering.
• Leaders for Global Operations Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99019

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/99019