A Kanban Implementation Study in a Production Line

Abstract

This paper presents a three-level kanban approach implemented for existing machine cells of a production line in a Turkish tractor manufacturing company. The kanban system organizes the communication and material movement among manufacturing cells with cards and containers. Each container has a material holding capacity. On the other hand, there are different card types, such as movement, storage, and production. Each card type determines the next processing step for the materials inside a kanban container. The number of containers and kanban cards within the system determines not only the overall WIP (work-in-process) inventory level in the factory but also material stock levels at the local areas at the machines and other storage or production facilities. This paper presents a practical approach for the determination of the number of kanban cards and sizes of containers. The approach is explained with a practical application.