ing software. “Another one is to reduce waste and eliminate work in process levels, so FMS, flexible manufacturing systems, are applications that fit into lean and support the lean agenda.”
Reducing waste, and manufacturing costs, are primary goals for both lean practitioners and proponents of flexible automation. The SAIL (Scheduling for Automated and Inte- grated Lines) software was developed about 10 years ago by Lenz at CMS (Computerized Manufacturing Systems), which also created its MAST (MAnufacturing Simulation Tool) soft- ware for analyzing production flow in manufacturing facilities. SAIL focuses on three major areas: flexible capacity, daily
order scheduling, and a part serialization-based quality plan. SAIL and MAST have been implemented in a wide variety of high-mix manufacturing settings, noted Lenz, from contract machine houses to major corporations, with outcomes rang- ing from a 10–40% reduction in manufacturing costs. In any high-mix manufacturing environment, like job shops, an FMS system fits all those agendas or strategies, Lenz said. “We don’t market under the lean name,” he said, “because many times we’re focused on automation.” SAIL offers a highly accurate view of factory-floor scheduling for running a variety-mix environment, while MAST features two levels of modeling, at the factory level to monitor factory flow and to target an inventory level or flow time. “That’s been useful for lean,” Lenz said.
“The biggest challenge I see with high-level roll-up numbers like OEE is the amount of detail that is lost.”
The CMS software simulates cell layouts and has been highly successful in reducing costs, Lenz said. Implementa- tions include Caterpillar, Parker Hannifin, and Charles Machin- ing Works, maker of the Ditch Witch ditch-digging machines. Lenz developed a version of the software that is being used for the new Toyoda Information Management System (TIMS), which was shown at the recent open house at Toyoda Ma- chinery USA (Arlington Heights, IL).
Flexible capacity is key to lean goals, Lenz noted. “Most machine cells are planned with flexibility using alternative paths, but this is a benefit to reducing cost only when the flexibility is realized in daily decisions. MAST/SAIL software uses modeling to configure the minimum implementation cost that attains 25% flexible hours, and then uses this mod-
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AdvancedManufacturing.org 93
el to generate daily schedules. The combination of planning for flexibility and daily management is what delivers reduction in manufacturing cost.”
Building to daily demand is a lean technique proven to minimize waste and reduce manufacturing cost, Lenz stated. “The difficulty comes in its implementation. MAST/ SAIL software provides automatic data flow/sharing from the ERP system directly to cell controls,” Lenz noted. “Orders automatically appear in the SAIL Order list via data sharing or Kanban scans. An allocation process customized in SAIL generates a daily schedule and transfers these instructions to cell control computers.”
Lean Quality Software Lean initiatives stretch across many aspects of manu- facturing operations and can employ many tools to facili- tate overall lean principles, noted Eric Weisbrod, technical services manager, InfinityQS International Inc. (Fairfax, VA), developer of the ProFicient enterprise quality hub and SPC
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