The workstations are the fundamental component of the manufacturing or assembly systems. A workstation should provide quality, productivity, flexibility and ergonomics when associated with an operator.
Some tips for you to consider in your workstations are:
1.- Determine the optimum number of stations
The optimum number is a specific intermediate either by careful industrial engineering methods or practice. Anyway, the important thing is not to have more stations or less than those required to maximize productivity and quality.
2.- Find which workstations should be automatic
The most productive workstation can be an automatic station.
There are processes by their production flow or by the degree of specialization or precision should automate. The CNC or other specially designed machines are indispensable in certain processes. Assess when it is best to automate a station.
Remember: it is necessary to supply such stations, power down in a mechanized tenure and monitor the operation of the station.
3.- Add technology and assistive devices
Each workstation requires technological assistance. However, we must not put the more help than needed because this can often lead to changes to the workstation, affecting the quality or safety. Transport devices, materials handling and supply of services (air, electricity, information, support, etc.) are common in a good workstation.
Another point to take care is the software. If the software in all areas of the company is updated, you avoid work breaks that represent economic losses, plus all the relevant information is protected in system.
4.- Do flexible the workstation
Manage the station to have the capacity to meet different products and processes, provided you keep on productivity. You also have to allow a process to be omitted or redirected if so required by the exigencies of production. Automatic, semiautomatic or manual stations need to be flexible in the current environment dominated by customers.
5.- Provide idle areas and provide visibility to the station
As a rule, adequate accumulation of idle products is good for time that would otherwise not be recovered. Online processes are subject to a strict chain of assumptions that do not occur in practice. Or they can be more expensive considering the minimum stock required by the station.
Of course there will be cases where it can be omitted such idle area. The station should also have visibility, both physically and in terms of information; and implement sensors and alarms to ensure safety and take action according to expectations.
6.- Provide ergonomics
Somehow, even in automatic stations, there is a man-machine relationship; particularly in semi-automatic or mechanized processes.
It is very convenient to make an ergonomic relationship that will lead to multiple benefits of labor productivity and process. Millions of man hours are wasted annually by easily avoidable accidents and occupational diseases. It's about to realize that small ergonomic inputs have a high impact on total production costs.
If you want cutting-edge workstations, designed to fit your process, contact a professional of GIEICOM.
