Improvement in Material Feeding by Introducing Kitting in the Assembly Line

Abstract

The concept of kitting is to ensure the supply of all complete sub-assemblies in the form of kits to the assembly station/line. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the business case and the possibility of the company to implement lean kit assembly concept. Inceptive part of the study was to understand the kitting concept completely and simultaneously study the current material feeding system, where improvement had to be incorporated. The study shows that kitting results in reduction of operator walk time, material search time and material fetch time. It also leads to better planning for material, manpower, and enhancement in productivity through appropriate work allocation. Although the benefits achieved from the implementation of kitting concepts are specific to the company’s needs, results make it clear that kitting goes hand in hand with the lean manufacturing process.