TWI Industries

Model Answer

TWI Current State Map

Order
60 days
Orders

Rod + Forging
suppliers

OE + after market
customers

Production
Control
Size adjust
2 weeks

Daily priorities

Shop order

2x Month

Daily

Daily ship schedule

Weld area
Supervisor

Machining
Forgings C/t = 30 sec
20 days C/O = 120 min

5 Days
Uptime = 100%

Weld 1

Weld 2

Deflash

Outside
Painter
2 days inv.

C/t = 30 sec 3 Days C/t = 30 secC/t = 30 sec 5 Days

3 Days10 sec Op10 sec Op10 sec Op
C/O = 15 minC/O = 15 minC/O = 15 min
To 60 minTo 60 minTo 60 min
Uptime = 90%Uptime = 80%Uptime = 100%

Cutting
Uncut
Rods
20 days

Assembly

Shipping

Work = 195 sec

6 Days C/O = 10 min 4 Days

Uptime = 100%

4 Days

C/t = 15 sec
C/O = 15 min
To 60 min
Uptime = 100%

20 Days

3 Days

5 Days
30 secs

30 secs

3 Days
30 secs

5 Days 2 Days 6 Days

30 secs

4 Days
195 secs

Lead time = 48 days

Value Add = 315 sec

The Eight Questions and Answers

1. What is the Takt Time?
We have 15 hours per day, and 20 days per
month.
= 300 hours per month
= 1080000 seconds per month
Demand = 24000 pieces per month
Therefore Takt = 1080000/24000
= 45 seconds per item

3.
introduce
continuous
production?
2. Where
Should can
TWIwebuild
to a finished
goodsflow
supermarket
or
In
Assembly,
we have 195 seconds of work. This is split
direct
to shipping?
between
workers.
So, if we can get an even split of the
Finished6product
variety
work
elements,
get a cycle
time ofend
of 32.5 seconds.
= 20
lengths we
x 2 can
diameters
x 3 types
Iffittings
we arexcareful,
2 ends we should be able to split the work
elements
= 20 xto
2 xgive
3 xa2cycle time of 39 seconds with 5
workers.
is within
Takt
This
will be cell 2
= 240 This
product
types the
(plus
anytime.
colour
variations)
This is a lot of variety to keep in a supermarket we
would
need
2402 locations
Weld 1,
Weld
and Deflash all have 30 second machine
Also,
if
we
can
reduce
lead operator
time to less
than
2 weeks,
cycle times and 10 second
cycle
times.
So we
then
we will be
sureand
of the
order.
can combine
these
runcustomer
the cell with
1 operator. This
So,will
we should
be cell aim
1. to build direct to shipping.
We can not include cutting as it is not dedicated to this
product family. (See Q8 for further development)

4. Where will we need to use supermarket pull

systems?
As cutting is not dedicated to the product family,
we will need a supermarket pull system to buffer
it from cell 1.
We can also do the same for (the faster cycle,
but long set up) Machining of Forgings, and also
for both raw material types.
Between the cells and painting, and also
between cell 2 and shipping, we should use
FIFO lines

5. At what single point (the pacemaker process)

should TWI schedule production?
The pacemaker process should be the point
furthest upstream from the customer where
production can flow to the customer. So, the
pacemaker process should be the Weld 1, Weld
2, Deflash (Cell 1) process.
After Cell 1, product will flow through FIFO
transfers to paint , assembly and shipping.
Production feeding Cell 1 will be controlled via
supermarket pull systems.

7. What constant increment of work should TWI release

6.and
How
will TWI level the production mix at
take away at the pacemaker process?
the
pacemaker
process?
1 kanban
= 5 *45 seconds
= 225 use
seconds
or 3.75 minutes
We should
a Hiejunka
(levelling)
To release a single kanban would mean somebody
box
atthe
cell
1. box every 3.75 minutes. This may
visiting
Heijunka
not be practical.
Steering
arms are packed 5 to a box. So a
The smallest
customerbe
order
25 pieces. So why not
Kanban
should
foris5forarms.
release 5 kanbans at a time?
This would make the Pitch = 5 x 3.75 minutes
= 18.75 minutes
This appears to be a more practical pitch.
(There are equally good arguments for releasing 8 or 10
kanbans at a time)

8. What process improvements are necessary to

make the value stream flow as the future state
design indicates?
See the Kaizen flashes on the future state map.
In summary:
4 x set up reduction projects (cutting,
machining, assembly, and the 3 operations
in cell 1)
2 x maintenance (to improve welder uptime)
1 x work element balancing (assembly)
Request weekly delivery from suppliers

Rod + Forging
suppliers

Production
Control

Orders

OE + after market
customers

Orders
2 weeks

Weekly
Daily

Pitch = 18.75 minutes

Forgings

Machining

Machined
forgings

C/t = 30 sec

6 Days

Change overC/O = 30 min

Uptime = 100%

Weld &
Deflash

6 Days

Cutting
C/t = 15 sec
C/O = 5 min
Uptime = 100%

6 Days

Takt = 45
Work = 195 sec
C/O = 0
Uptime = 100%

1/2 day

Cut rods
Change over
Welder uptime

Change over
Work element balance

Change over

<1 Day

1 Day
30 secs

Shipping
1 day

C/T = 30 sec 1 day

C/O < 5 min
Uptime = 100%
Work = 90 sec

Rods

Assembly

Outside
Painter
1 day inv.

90 secs

1 Day

Same day Lead time = 10 days

<1 Day
195 secs

Value Add = 315 sec