Productive Process Improvement at Automotive Wire Harnesses Enterprise Through Work Teams

Abstract

This study objective is to increment efficiency in secondary process at automotive wire harnesses enterprise, through distribution change into the workstations, performed by work teams. Was analyzed each process area; then, manufacturing flows were defined; each common workstation among families was identified to place them into common area, workstations were rebalanced, densification and simulation techniques were applied. Steps followed: Manufacturing Flows Improvement: To identify common workstations; were proposed centralized processes; value chain mapping is the best tool, in this case. Workstations rebalancing: similar workstations are identified, also workloads for each station, and production daily volume required; rebalancing should consider one route to deliver each component to each line and workstation where is used. Workstations area distribution design: was selected distribution by process or by function. Result analysis, efficiency results doesn´t show positive results, because were launched new part numbers simultaneously to changes implementation. Productivity changed from 81.77% to 93.59%.