Research on the optimization of an angle grinder assembly line based on lean thinking

ABSTRACT

Aim to solve all kinds of problem existing in the angle grinder assembly line of the enterprise, such as the unreasonable distribution of work procedures, serious work in progress (WIP) inventory, chaotic production line layout and low assembly line balancing. Value Stream Map (VSM) is used to describe the layout and process diagram of the assembly line and a future value flow chart is established to optimize the angle grinder assembly line in this paper. IE method is utilized to improve the layout of the assembly line and bottleneck location, and the assembly line balance problem in advanced industrial manufacturing is combined with the genetic algorithm (GA). The assembly line improved effectively shortens the product assembly cycle, reduces the inventory and material handling distance, and improves the production line balance.

KEYWORDS:

• Lean production
• angle grinder assembly line
• value stream map
• line balance
• genetic algorithm

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the innovation method project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant: 2016IM020100), the Key R & D project of Zhejiang Province (Grant: 2018C01074).

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no potential conflict of interest. This paper is published here for the first time.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (No. 2018C01074); the Ministry of Science and Technology of China [2016IM020100]; 521 talent project of ZSTU.