REPETITIVE MANUFACTURING – The Challenge & Opportunity

Repetitive manufacturing is distinguished by the production of discrete units, usually at very high speeds and quantities in which materials tend to move in a continuous flow during production. Identification of individual unit cost is unnecessary. In repetitive manufacturing, products flow continuously along a direct route until they are complete; there is little in-process inventory and parts rarely stop moving.

True repetitive manufacturing is almost an oxymoron in today’s manufacturing environment.  In a world where “you can have any color you want – as long as it is black” doesn’t exist.  Customers want products “tailored to their needs” NOT just another widget.  Fluctuating customer demand for varied product types and features creates a complex market in which to create and execute the production plan.  The ability to forecast the product features the market wants – size, parts, options, add-ons, color, etc at the price it is willing to pay – can be harder than escaping from Houdini’s water trap.

Challenges to be faced

• Poor quality due to process variations
• High scrap rates if the processes aren’t well controlled
• Long set-up and changeover times
• High batch sizes leads to high levels of inventory
• Production quantities based on “forecasted” demand
• Production complexity to meet demand for more features and functions

All of these challenges, if not addressed and successfully improved upon, lead to higher inventory, longer lead-time and higher costs.  If you are a monopoly, you can make it work.  But who is?? 

If your company is struggling to reduce costs in the “repetitive manufacturing” game, perhaps it is time to consider Pull Production and Lean Manfacturing.

Pull Production has two fundamental objectives:

• The production of an item/order is initiated only as it is demanded or consumed by a customer.
• Inventory is used only when a “downstream” or using operation takes it.

Pull production is initiated by the external customer and triggered all the way to the beginning of the production process by the internal customers – aka - the operations in the production process.

The ability to implement pull production is predicated on establishing a “reasonable” level of success in the Lean Manufacturing Techniques. 

Key Lean Methods to be used include - 5S, Set Up Time Reduction and Visual Management.

Is establishing “Pull Production” easy – hell no, or every repetitive manufacturer would already be using it.  Can it be done – Yes!  Will the move from the traditional “push” repetitive manufacturing to “pull” improve operating performance – YES!

Perhaps we can help you evaluate the opportunity, cost and challenges that, just might, help your company become a stronger competitor in your markets.